New Study Finds Racial Disparities in Postoperative Outcomes for Cervical Stenosis
Black and Hispanic Patients are at Higher Risk of Facing More Serious Degenerative Issues
Significant racial disparities were found to exist in the trajectory of cervical stenosis (CS), a spinal pathology, with Black and Hispanic patients more likely to experience more serious functional and quality-of-life impairments according to a new study published in the North American Spine Society Journal by New York Medical College faculty and medical students.
“Approximately 80 to 90 percent of adults over age 50 show signs of degenerative disc disease with the most severe cases leading to debilitating repercussions, including numbness, loss of dexterity, balance issues, myelopathies, and neuropathies,” said Ankita Das, SOM Class of 2024, the lead author on the study. “Yet despite the proven cost-effectiveness, safety, and success of anterior cervical discectomy and fusion in managing symptomatic patients, these remarkable advancements haven’t translated into equitable access or outcomes across all patient populations.”
According to the study, Caucasian patients were significantly less likely to present with more advanced manifestations of CS, including myelopathy, plegia, and bowel-bladder dysfunction, and had a lower risk of complications, such as pneumonia and acute kidney injury. Socioeconomic factors also played a part with patients with Medicaid and Medicare and lower-income patients presenting with more advanced disease prior to intervention, often leading to less favorable treatment outcomes.
“It is our hope that spotlighting these disparities will fuel further conversation and ultimately spark systemic change in attitudes, policies, and systems that result in equal care in neurosurgery and positively impact the quality of life for patients,” said Das.
Additional faculty and medical students on the study include Sima Vazquez, M.S., SOM Class of 2024; Jacob Greisman, M.D. ’23; Tiffany Ming, SOM Class of 2024; Grigori Vaserman, M.D. ’23; Eris Spirollari, SOM Class of 2024; Alexandra Naftchi, SOM Class of 2024; Simon Hanft, M.D., associate professor of neurosurgery; and Merritt Kinon, M.D., associate professor of neurosurgery.