Comparison of Outcomes Between Staged and Same-Day Circumferential Spinal Fusion for Adult Spinal Deformity: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Adult spinal deformity (ASD) is a prevalent condition often treated with circumferential spinal fusion (CF), which can be performed as staged or same-day procedures. However, evidence guiding the choice between these approaches is lacking. Objective: This study aims to compare patient outcomes following staged and same-day CF for ASD. Methods: Following PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines, a comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane CENTRAL, Web of Science, and Scopus. Eligibility criteria included studies comparing outcomes following staged and same-day CF in adults with ASD. Searches were exported to Covidence, and records were deduplicated automatically. Title and abstract screening, full-text review, and data extraction were performed by two independent reviewers, with all conflicts being resolved by a third reviewer. A meta-analysis was conducted for outcomes reported in 3 or more studies. Conclusions: Same-day CF may offer shorter operating time and hospital stay compared to staged CF for ASD. However, there was marked heterogeneity in perioperative outcomes reporting, and continuous variables were inconsistently presented. This underscored the need for standardized reporting of clinical variables and patient-reported outcomes and higher evidence of randomized controlled trials to elucidate the clinical superiority of either approach. Trial registration: PROSPERO CRD42022339764; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=339764. International registered report identifier (irrid): RR2-10.2196/42331.