Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30305065›Full record

Observational studyBMC musculoskeletal disorders2018

Patients with severe low back pain exhibit a low level of physical activity before lumbar fusion surgery: a cross-sectional study.

Hanna Lotzke, Max Jakobsson, Annelie Gutke, Maria Hagströmer, Helena Brisby, Olle Hägg, Rob Smeets, Mari Lundberg

Registry-linked trialOpen access · goldAbstract readObservational Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04975568 (Effectiveness of Therapeutic Exercise Controlled Through App Adding Face-to-face Supervision Executed by Physical Therapist in the Subacute and Chronic Low Back Pain), which is not on this map. Cited by 15 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
15citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
2.0field-weighted citation impact, top 14% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

NCT04975568 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2021, after this paper: background citation

Effectiveness of Therapeutic Exercise Controlled Through App Adding Face-to-face Supervision Executed by Physical Therapist in the Subacute and Chronic Low Back Pain

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversidad Complutense de MadridRan2021 to 2022Enrolled90ConditionsLow Back PainArmsApp and face-to-face physical therapy, App physical therapy
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

15 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 36 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. 'It Felt Safe'. Experiences With an Early Cognitive Behavioural Approach After Lumbar Spinal Surgery: A Qualitative Study of Participants' Perspectives.Physiotherapy research international : the journal for researchers and clinicians in physical therapy · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 5 institutions in 2 countries.

Hanna LotzkeInstitute of the Clinical Sciences, Department of Orthopaedics at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, R-huset 7th Floor, SU/Mölndal, Göteborgsvägen 31, 431 80 Mölndal, Gothenburg, Sweden. Hanna.lotzke@gu.se.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4616-265X
Max JakobssonInstitute of the Clinical Sciences, Department of Orthopaedics at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, R-huset 7th Floor, SU/Mölndal, Göteborgsvägen 31, 431 80 Mölndal, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Annelie GutkeDivision of Physiotherapy, Department of Health and Rehabilitation, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Box 455, 405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Maria HagströmerDivision of Physiotherapy, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Alfred Nobels Alle 23, 141 83, Huddinge, Sweden.
Helena BrisbyInstitute of the Clinical Sciences, Department of Orthopaedics at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, R-huset 7th Floor, SU/Mölndal, Göteborgsvägen 31, 431 80 Mölndal, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Olle HäggInstitute of the Clinical Sciences, Department of Orthopaedics at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, R-huset 7th Floor, SU/Mölndal, Göteborgsvägen 31, 431 80 Mölndal, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Rob SmeetsDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, Maastricht University, PO Box 616, 6200 MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Mari LundbergDivision of Physiotherapy, Department of Health and Rehabilitation, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Box 455, 405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Sahlgrenska University Hospital · SESpine Center Göteborg · SEUniversity of Gothenburg · SEKarolinska University Hospital · SEMaastricht University · NL

Funding

AFA Research Funding No. 120216The Eurospine Research Grants No. TFR 8-2014The Swedish Research Council (VR) No. 2015-02511
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPeople with severe low back pain are at higher risk of poor health. Patients scheduled for lumbar fusion surgery are assumed to have low levels of physical activity, but few data exist. The aim of the study was firstly to investigate preoperative levels of objectively measured physical activity in patients with severe low back pain waiting for lumbar fusion surgery, and secondly to investigate whether factors in the fear-avoidance model were associated with these levels.

methodsWe included 118 patients waiting for lumbar fusion surgery (63 women and 55 men; mean age 46 years). Physical activity expressed as steps per day and total time spent in at least moderate-intensity physical activity was assessed with ActiGraph GT3X+ accelerometers. The data were compared to the WHO recommendations on physical activity for health. Whether factors in the fear-avoidance model were associated with physical activity was evaluated by two different multiple linear regression models.

resultsNinety-six patients (83%) did not reach the WHO recommendations on physical activity for health, and 19 (16%) patients took fewer than 5000 steps per day, which indicates a sedentary lifestyle. On a group level, higher scores for fear of movement and disability were associated with lower numbers of steps per day.

conclusionA high proportion of the patients did not reach the WHO recommendations on physical activity and are therefore at risk of poor health due to insufficient physical activity. We also found a negative association between both fear of movement and disability, and the number of steps per day. Action needs to be taken to motivate patients to be more physically active before surgery, to improve health postoperatively. There is a need for interventions aimed at increasing physical activity levels and reducing barriers to physical activity in the prehabilitation phase of this patient group.

trial registrationCurrent Controlled Trials ISCRTN 17115599 , retrospectively Registered 18 may 2015.

Indexed as

ExerciseSedentary BehaviorSpinal FusionAdultAvoidance LearningCost of IllnessCross-Sectional StudiesDisability EvaluationFearFemaleHealth StatusHumansLow Back PainLumbar VertebraeMaleMiddle AgedAccelerometerChronic low back painKinesiophobiaLumbar surgerySteps per day

Identifiers

PMID30305065
PMCPMC6180521
OpenAlexW2897594404

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.