Arthritis Ireland has said findings from new research on the safety of spinal fusion surgery are a cause for concern.

The support group was commenting on a new study which showed that one-in-eight patients who have the procedure suffered a major complication, while one-in-three need further operations.

The US study, published in the journal Spine, also found that nearly one-in-twenty of patients who had this surgery died.

A spokesperson for Arthritis Ireland said the findings of this study were very worrying and raised a number of questions over the suitability of this type of operation.

However, the support group also said current guidance for treating chronic low back pain stress that spinal fusion should be conducted only in very specific cases.

"This should not cause worry for people considering any other form of orthopedic surgical procedure as many people with arthritis find that having surgery brings about a dramatic reduction in their pain and an improvement in their mobility and quality of life," Arthritis Ireland said.