Patients with secondary hip-spine syndrome having surgeries of hip and spine in Taiwan: The investigation of unnecessary spine surgery

Purpose: To estimate the incidence of hip-spine syndrome patients who received both hip and spine surgeries in Taiwan. Design: Retrospective study. Setting: Taiwan's National Health Institute Research Database Patient Sample: Taiwan's National Health Institute Research Database provided a total of 596,808 patients from 2002 to 2005. Outcome measures: Patients who underwent a hip surgery after a spine surgery within 25 months were definite as a Secondary Hip-Spine Syndrome patient. Results: Within 25 months, 14 patients had been treated for total hip replacement after a spine surgery; among the 14 patients having secondary hip spine syndrome, neurosurgeons carried out an ineffective treatment on seven of them while the remaining 7 cases had theirs implemented by orthopedic surgeons. The average of 20.4 months had been recorded as regards the interval between the first and last complaints of total hip replacement. 11 cases, which can be estimated to be 78% of the entire sample of patients, exhibited delayed diagnosis of femoral heads' necroses. Conclusion: Secondary hip-syndrome patients received both hip and spine surgeries constituted approximately 3% in spine surgery and 2.4% in hip surgery.