Aims

To provide normative data that can assess spinal-related disability and the prevalence of back or leg pain among adults with no spinal conditions in the UK using validated questionnaires.

Background and Purpose. The UK's NIHR and Australia's NHMRC have funded two randomised controlled trials (RCTs) to determine if lumbar fusion surgery (LFS) is more effective than best conservative care (BCC) for adults with persistent, severe low back pain (LBP) attributable to lumbar spine degeneration. We aimed to describe clinicians’ decision-making regarding suitability of patient cases for LFS or BCC and level of equipoise to randomise participants in the RCTs. Methods. Two online cross-sectional surveys distributed via UK and Australian professional networks to clinicians involved in LBP care, collected data on clinical discipline, practice setting and preferred care of five patient cases (ranging in age, pain duration, BMI, imaging findings, neurological signs/symptoms). Clinicians were also asked about willingness to randomise each patient case. Results. Of 174 responses (73 UK, 101 Australia), 70 were orthopaedic surgeons, 34 neurosurgeons, 65 allied health professionals (AHPs), 5 others. Most worked in public health services only (92% UK, 45% Australia), or a mix of public/private (36% Australia). Most respondents chose BCC as their first-choice management option for all five cases (81–93% UK, 83–91% Australia). For LFS, UK surgeons preferred TLIF (36.4%), whereas Australian surgeons preferred ALIF (54%). Willingness to randomise cases ranged from 37–60% (UK mean 50.7%), and 47–55% (Australian mean 51.9%); orthopaedic and neuro-surgeons were more willing than AHPs. Conclusion. Whilst BCC was preferred for all five patient cases, just over half of survey respondents in both the UK and Australia were willing to randomise cases to either LFS or BCC, indicating clinical equipoise (collective uncertainty) needed for RCT recruitment. Conflicts of interest. None. Sources of funding. No specific funding obtained for the surveys. DB, SA, AG and NEF have funding from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) UK (FORENSIC-UK NIHR134859); NEF, DB and SA have funding from the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC FORENSIC-Australia GA268233). AG has funding from Orthopaedic Research UK (combined with British Association of Spine Surgeons and British Scoliosis Society) and Innovate UK. NEF is funded through an Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Investigator Grant (ID: 2018182)

Background. Chronic musculoskeletal pain increases an individual's risk of developing many chronic diseases and the risk of all-cause early mortality. There is irrefutable evidence supporting the role of physical activity (PA) in reducing these risks. Sustaining changes to PA behaviours is challenging and efforts are needed to understand the barriers and facilitators of change. Understanding these factors is a vital step in developing behaviour change interventions. Objectives. Explore barriers and facilitators to engaging in PA in adults accessing pain services. Explore barriers and facilitators to promoting PA by healthcare professionals, exercise professionals and charity staff/expert patients. Methods. A qualitative study using the theoretical domains framework (TDF). Two focus groups were conducted with service users (n=18). Three focus groups were held with; healthcare professionals (n=8); exercise professionals (n=6) and charity staff/expert patients (n=8). Two independent reviewers thematically analysed transcripts. Barriers and facilitators were subsequently coded according to the domains of the TDF. Results. For all groups barriers were frequently mapped to the domain ‘environmental context and resources’. Although there was variation across the groups, barriers were also frequently mapped to the domains of ‘knowledge’, ‘beliefs about consequences’, and ‘belief about capabilities’. For service-users' facilitators were frequently mapped to ‘social influences’. Conclusion. The TDF was used to identify deficits that are likely to influence behaviours; targeted intervention strategies have been developed to specifically target these deficits. The interventions that have been developed consider not only the behaviour of those at whom the intervention is targeted, but also those involved in its delivery. No conflicts of interest. Sources of funding: This research was funded by the Public Health Agency, HSC R&D Division through a Doctoral Fellowship awarded to J Marle

Background and purpose. To identify methods used to measure free living sedentary behaviour in people with back pain and review the validity and reliability of identified measures. Methods. Databases including CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE, AMED, PsycINFO, SPORTDiscus and the Sedentary Behaviour and Research Network website (. www.sedentarybehaviour.org. ) were searched for relevant published articles up to June 2014. Studies which measured sedentary behaviour in people with back pain were included. Quality of the included studies was assessed using the Newcastle Ottawa Scale. The Consensus-based Standards for the Selection of Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) Checklist was used to assess psychometric properties. Results. Six papers were identified; two of high methodological quality. The most common method of data collection was self-report, using activity diaries or questionnaires. Sedentary behaviour measured by accelerometry ranged from 6.7 to 10.7 hours per day whereas results from self-report measures ranged from 5 to 9.4 hours per day. According to the COSMIN checklist, the psychometric properties of the measurement instruments were rated fair to excellent. Conclusion. People with back pain spend a large proportion of their waking day participating in sedentary behaviour. Therefore valid and reliable sedentary behaviour measurements, such as those identified in this study, are essential for assessing the effectiveness of public health interventions and for future population monitoring. Conflicts of interest: No conflicts of interest. Sources of funding: Department for Employment and Learning

Osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (VCFs) are an increasing public health problem. Recently, randomised controlled trials on the use of kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty in the treatment of these fractures have been published, but no definitive conclusions have been reached on the role of these interventions. The major problem encountered when trying to perform a meta-analysis of the available studies for the use of cementoplasty in patients with a VCF is that conservative management has not been standardised. Forms of conservative treatment commonly used in these patients include bed rest, analgesic medication, physiotherapy and bracing. . In this review, we report the best evidence available on the conservative care of patients with osteoporotic VCFs and associated back pain, focusing on the role of the most commonly used spinal orthoses. Although orthoses are used for the management of these patients, to date, there has been only one randomised controlled trial published evaluating their value. Until the best conservative management for patients with VCFs is defined and standardised, no conclusions can be drawn on the superiority or otherwise of cementoplasty techniques over conservative management

Aims

We compared decompression alone to decompression with fusion surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis, with or without degenerative spondylolisthesis (DS). The aim was to evaluate if five-year outcomes differed between the groups. The two-year results from the same trial revealed no differences.

Aims

The aims of this study were first, to determine if adding fusion to a decompression of the lumbar spine for spinal stenosis decreases the rate of radiological restenosis and/or proximal adjacent level stenosis two years after surgery, and second, to evaluate the change in vertebral slip two years after surgery with and without fusion.

Aims

The aim of this study was to determine whether early surgical treatment results in better neurological recovery 12 months after injury than late surgical treatment in patients with acute traumatic spinal cord injury (tSCI).

Purpose of study. A recent audit in our institution showed that 40% of Lumbar spine X-rays ordered by General Practitioners were outside the Royal College of Radiology guidelines. Little in 1998 had commented that GPs requested Lumber Spine X-rays for psychosocial reasons. Methods. An online survey was conducted on . www.surveymonkey.com. among the local GPs to determine their practice and preferences in investigating low back pain. The 5 questions in the survey were “rating scale questions” on a scale of 1 and 10, where 1 = DISAgree and 10 = Agree. A request to participate in the survey was sent to all the local General Practitioners by e-mail. Results. 36 General Practitioners participated in the survey. Participants agreed that if there were no red flags and no significant neurological deficit they were satisfied in not requesting further investigations (6.03/10). They did not feel the need to order investigation just to reassure an anxious patient (5.31). In day to day practice they however were forced to request X-rays (6.72) though they preferred to request MRI scans (7.55). They also felt frustrated that MRI scans could not be directly ordered by GPs (6.69). Conclusion. This limited study demonstrates that General Practitioners “Do not investigate back pain just to reassure the patient but are frustrated that they are not able to directly request MRI scans for their patients. Increased efforts to educate the public and health professionals that a negative X-ray result of the lumbar spine is not reassuring should be matched by easy access to MRI scans

Aims

To study the associations of lumbar developmental spinal stenosis (DSS) with low back pain (LBP), radicular leg pain, and disability.

Aims

The aims of this study were to determine the rates of surgical complications, reoperations, and readmissions following herniated lumbar disc surgery, and to investigate the impact of sociodemographic factors and comorbidity on the rate of such unfavourable events.

The aim of this study was to determine whether obesity affects pain, surgical and functional outcomes following lumbar spinal fusion for low back pain (LBP).

A systematic literature review and meta-analysis was made of those studies that compared the outcome of lumbar spinal fusion for LBP in obese and non-obese patients. A total of 17 studies were included in the meta-analysis. There was no difference in the pain and functional outcomes. Lumbar spinal fusion in the obese patient resulted in a statistically significantly greater intra-operative blood loss (weighted mean difference: 54.04 ml; 95% confidence interval (CI) 15.08 to 93.00; n = 112; p = 0.007) more complications (odds ratio: 1.91; 95% CI 1.68 to 2.18; n = 43858; p < 0.001) and longer duration of surgery (25.75 mins; 95% CI 15.61 to 35.90; n = 258; p < 0.001). Obese patients have greater intra-operative blood loss, more complications and longer duration of surgery but pain and functional outcome are similar to non-obese patients. Based on these results, obesity is not a contraindication to lumbar spinal fusion.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2015;97-B:1395–1404.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical predictors of surgical outcome in patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). We reviewed a consecutive series of 248 patients (71 women and 177 men) with CSM who had undergone surgery at our institution between January 2000 and October 2010. Their mean age was 59.0 years (16 to 86). Medical records, office notes, and operative reports were reviewed for data collection. Special attention was focused on pre-operative duration and severity as well as post-operative persistence of myelopathic symptoms. Disease severity was graded according to the Nurick classification.

Our multivariate logistic regression model indicated that Nurick grade 2 CSM patients have the highest chance of complete symptom resolution (p < 0.001) and improvement to normal gait (p = 0.004) following surgery. Patients who did not improve after surgery had longer duration of myelopathic symptoms than those who did improve post-operatively (17.85 months (1 to 101) vs 11.21 months (1 to 69); p = 0.002). More advanced Nurick grades were not associated with a longer duration of symptoms (p = 0.906).

Our data suggest that patients with Nurick grade 2 CSM are most likely to improve from surgery. The duration of myelopathic symptoms does not have an association with disease severity but is an independent prognostic indicator of surgical outcome.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B:966–71.