Fat Map Strikes Back: Best Infection Predictor in Lumbar Fusion

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BMI. As a measure of fat vs muscle, it’s easy, ubiquitous, and…about as precise as estimating blood loss by “eyeballing the suction canister.”

A new fat stat might finally give surgeons a clinically relevant measure for back pain patients. It’s the Lumbar Subcutaneous Adipose Classification (LSAC) — an MRI-based system that doesn’t just measure fat, it maps its distribution and, turns out, its propensity to drive post-op infections and other risks.