Potential involvement of family structure in locomotive recovery following surgery in older patients with lumbar spinal stenosis

Background: Surgical outcomes for lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) are generally favorable, even in older adults, and they effectively address locomotive syndrome. In older patients with LSS, support from family members during the postoperative recovery period is expected to be helpful, but the extent to which family structure influences surgical outcomes for LSS remains unclear. Herein, this study aimed to investigate the involvement of family structure in surgical outcomes for older patients with LSS. Methods: This retrospective study included 350 consecutive patients aged ≥65 years who underwent LSS surgery between April 2020 and December 2023. Patients were categorized by family structure into the M (living with multiple family members) or S group (living with few or no family members). Postoperative outcomes were assessed using patient-reported outcomes, including the Roland–Morris Disability Questionnaire (RDQ), Geriatric Locomotive Function Scale (GLFS-25), and Japanese Orthopaedic Association Back Pain Evaluation Questionnaire. Results: The M group consisted of 102 participants, while the S group comprised 248 participants. Preoperatively, there were no significant differences in the scores of all patient-reported outcomes between the groups. However, even after adjusting for baseline characteristics that significantly differed between the groups, the RDQ (p = 0.018) and GLFS-25 scores (p = 0.030) were significantly better in the M group than in the S group at 1 year postoperatively. Furthermore, the proportion of patients with postoperative improvement in the locomotive syndrome stage was significantly higher in the M group than in the S group at both 6 months (p = 0.027) and 1 year (p = 0.002) postoperatively. Conclusions: Family structure significantly affected postoperative outcomes in older adults with LSS, particularly concerning locomotive syndrome recovery. These findings highlight the potential value of involving families in healthcare planning, while recognizing that the availability and quality of support may vary across households.