Lumbar disc herniation in the Spine Patient Outcomes Research Trial: does educational attainment impact outcome?

Study Design: Randomized trial with concurrent observational cohort. A total of 1171 patients were divided into subgroups by educational attainment: high school or less, some college, and college degree or above.

Objective: To assess the influence of education level on outcomes for treatment of lumbar disc herniation.

Predominant leg pain is associated with better surgical outcomes in degenerative spondylolisthesis and spinal stenosis: results from the Spine Patient Outcomes Research Trial (SPORT).

Study Design: As-treated analysis of the Spine Patient Outcomes Research Trial.

Objective: To compare baseline characteristics and surgical and nonoperative outcomes in degenerative spondylolisthesis (DS) and spinal stenosis (SpS) patients stratified by predominant pain location (i.e.

Spine patient outcomes research trial: radiographic predictors of clinical outcomes after operative or nonoperative treatment of degenerative spondylolisthesis.

Study Design: Subgroup analyses according to treatment received.

Objective: To evaluate whether baseline radiographic findings predicted outcomes in patients with degenerative spondylolisthesis.

Summary Of Background Data: The spine patient outcomes research trial combined randomized and observational DS cohorts.

SPORT lumbar intervertebral disk herniation and back pain: does treatment, location, or morphology matter?

Study Design: Diskectomy candidates with at least 6 weeks of sciatica and confirmatory imaging were enrolled in a randomized or observational cohort.

Objective: This study sought to determine: (1) whether diskectomy resulted in greater improvement in back pain than nonoperative treatment, and (2) whether herniation location and morphology affected back pain outcomes.

Summary Of Background Data: Previous studies have reported that lumbar diskectomy is less successful for relief of back pain than leg pain and patients with central disc herniations or protrusions have worse outcomes.

Physician-patient communication: a lost art?

In the face of rapid advances in technology, there has been a progressive deterioration of effective physician-patient communication. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons has identified that patients rate the orthopaedic profession as high in technical and low in communication skills. Poor communication, especially patient-interviewing skills, has been identified in medical students as well as in practicing physicians.

Workers' Compensation and return-to-work in low back pain.

The relationship of Workers' Compensation and litigation to low back pain (LBP) outcome is not established in the literature. Our study investigated the characteristics of disabled persons applying for Worker's Compensation or employing a lawyer, the factors predicting receipt of compensation, and the effects of compensation and litigation on employment outcome. One hundred sixty-nine unemployed persons with LBP were assessed by medical history, physical exam, biomechanical testing, psychiatric interview, and MMPI.

Determinants of return-to-work among low back pain patients.

This prospective study identifies physical, behavioral, and psychosocial correlates of subsequent employment status in a sample of low back pain patients. The sample of 150 subjects was drawn from 2 populations of persons with chronic low back pain: 87 individuals who were receiving care at a university low back pain clinic, and 63 individuals who had applied for (but not yet received) Social Security compensation on the basis of low back pain. All subjects had worked at least 3 months prior to their latest unemployment period and were currently out of work.