ArticleThe spine journal : official journal of the North American Spine Society2019
Lumbar spinal stenosis: comparison of surgical practice variation and clinical outcome in three national spine registries.
Article in The spine journal : official journal of the North American Spine Society, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT02897947 (Outcome of Surgery for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis - a Comparison of Data From Three National Quality Registries), which is not on this map. Cited by 42 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Outcome of Surgery for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis - a Comparison of Data From Three National Quality Registries
Who cites it
42 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Eligibility definitions and response rate accuracy in studies using routinely collected PROMs: a systematic review.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2026Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Use of an Expert Panel for Symptomatic Patients With Grade I Degenerative Lumbar Spondylolisthesis: A Randomized Clinical Trial.Neurosurgery · 2026Trial
- Surgeon Recommendation and Outcomes of Decompression With vs Without Fusion in Patients With Degenerative Spondylolisthesis.JAMA network open · 2025Trial
- Decompression alone or decompression with fusion for lumbar spinal stenosis: a randomized clinical trial with two-year MRI follow-up.The bone & joint journal · 2022Trial
- Swespine in the literature: a bibliometric analysis of trends and characteristics of publications.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2026Review
- Review
- The impact of overall lumbar disc degeneration burden on disability outcomes following surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis due to osteoarthritis.Osteoarthritis and cartilage open · 2026Article
- Sex difference in outcomes and risk factors for lumbar decompressive surgery.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2026Article
- Loss to follow-up after lumbar decompressive surgery: effect of collection method and perioperative factors on patient-reported outcome measures.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2026Article
- Regional variability and economic impact on surgical practices for metastatic spinal disease in Europe - a survey on spine surgeons.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2026Article
- Patient-reported outcome measure completion in lumbar spine surgery: Rates and determinants in a multicenter registry.Brain & spine · 2026Article
- Spine surgery in Denmark 2009-2024: A 15-year overview from the DaneSpine registry.Brain & spine · 2026Article
- Characterising patients undergoing surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis associated neurogenic claudication in the UK: what does the British Spinal Registry tell us?European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2025Article
- Biportal Endoscopic Decompression for Degenerative Lumbar Spondylolisthesis With Stenosis.Neurospine · 2025Article
- 1-year results of lumbar spinal stenosis surgery in Finland: a national FinSpine register study.Acta orthopaedica · 2025Article
- Mapping healthcare services and practice variations in spinal care across countries: The Spine Atlas Initiative.Brain & spine · 2025Article
- Get Back, a person-centred digital programme targeting physical activity for patients undergoing spinal stenosis surgery-a study protocol of a randomized feasibility study.Pilot and feasibility studies · 2024Article
- The Norwegian degenerative spondylolisthesis and spinal stenosis (NORDSTEN) study: study overview, organization structure and study population.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2023Article
- The Norwegian registry for spine surgery (NORspine): cohort profile.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
12 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
background contextDecompression surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is the most common spinal procedure in the elderly. To avoid persisting low back pain, adding arthrodesis has been recommended, especially if there is a coexisting degenerative spondylolisthesis. However, this strategy remains controversial, resulting in practice-based variation. PURPOSE: The present study aimed to evaluate in a pragmatic study if surgical selection criteria and variation in use of arthrodesis in three Scandinavian countries can be linked to variation in treatment effectiveness. STUDY
designThis is an observational study based on a combined cohort from the national spine registries of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. PATIENT SAMPLE: Patients aged 50 and older operated during 2011-2013 for LSS were included. OUTCOME MEASURES: Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs): Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) (primary outcome), Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) for leg pain and back pain, and health-related quality of life (Euro-Qol-5D) were reported. Analysis included case-mix adjustment. In addition, we report differences in hospital stay.
methodsAnalyses of baseline data were done by analysis of variance (ANOVA), chi-square, or logistic regression tests. The comparisons of the mean changes of PROMs at 1-year follow-up between the countries were done by ANOVA (crude) and analysis of covariance (case-mix adjustment).
resultsOut of 14,223 included patients, 10,890 (77%) responded at 1-year follow-up. Apart from fewer smokers in Sweden and higher comorbidity rate in Norway, baseline characteristics were similar. The rate of additional fusion surgery (patients without or with spondylolisthesis) was 11% (4%, 47%) in Norway, 21% (9%, 56%) in Sweden, and 28% (15%, 88%) in Denmark. At 1-year follow-up, the mean improvement for ODI (95% confidence interval) was 18 (17-18) in Norway, 17 (17-18) in Sweden, and 18 (17-19) in Denmark. Patients operated with arthrodesis had prolonged hospital stay.
conclusionsReal-life data from three national spine registers showed similar indications for decompression surgery but significant differences in the use of concomitant arthrodesis in Scandinavia. Additional arthrodesis was not associated with better treatment effectiveness.
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