Rates and Predictors of Surgery for Lumbar Disc Herniation Between the Military and Civilian Health Care Systems.

Study Design: Retrospective review (level of evidence III).

Objective: Surgical care patterns for lumbar disc herniation (LDH), a common musculoskeletal condition of high relevance to the Military Health System (MHS), have not been described or compared across the direct care and purchased care MHS components. This study aimed to describe surgery rates in MHS beneficiaries who were diagnosed with LDH in direct care versus purchased care and to evaluate characteristics associated with the location of surgery.