Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31697714›Full record

ArticlePloS one2019

Patients undergoing surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis experience unique courses of pain and disability: A group-based trajectory analysis.

Jeffrey J Hebert, Edward Abraham, Niels Wedderkopp, Erin Bigney, Eden Richardson, Mariah Darling, Hamilton Hall, Charles G Fisher, Y Raja Rampersaud, Kenneth C Thomas and 11 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
14citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

14 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Preoperative multifidus activation during movement and low back pain worsening after lumbar spinal stenosis surgery: a prospective observational study.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 · 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

21 authors.

Jeffrey J HebertFaculty of Kinesiology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-6959-325X
Edward AbrahamCanada East Spine Centre, Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada.
Niels WedderkoppDepartment of Regional Health Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
Erin BigneyCanada East Spine Centre, Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada.
Eden RichardsonCanada East Spine Centre, Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada.
Mariah DarlingCanada East Spine Centre, Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada.
Hamilton HallUniversity of Toronto, Department of Surgery, Toronto, Canada.
Charles G FisherCombined Neurosurgical and Orthopedic Spine Program, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of British Columbia, Blusson Spinal Cord Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Y Raja RampersaudUniversity of Toronto, University Health Network, Arthritis Program, Krembil Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Kenneth C ThomasUniversity of Calgary, Foothills Medical Centre, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Bradley JacobsUniversity of Calgary, Foothills Medical Centre, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Michael JohnsonDepartment of Surgery, Section of Orthopedics and Neurosurgery, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
Jerome PaquetDivision of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, CHU de Quebec-Universite Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.
Najmedden AttabibCanada East Spine Centre, Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada.
Peter JarzemMcGill Scoliosis and Spine Research Group, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Eugene K WaiDepartment of Surgery, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Parham RasoulinejadLondon Health Sciences Center, Victoria Hospital, London, Ontario, Canada.
Henry AhnUniversity of Toronto Spine Program, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Andrew NatarajDivision of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Alexandra StrattonDepartment of Surgery, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Neil MansonCanada East Spine Centre, Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveIdentify patient subgroups defined by trajectories of pain and disability following surgery for degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis, and investigate the construct validity of the subgroups by evaluating for meaningful differences in clinical outcomes.

methodsWe recruited patients with degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis from 13 surgical spine centers who were deemed to be surgical candidates. Study outcomes (leg and back pain numeric rating scales, modified Oswestry disability index) were measured before surgery, and after 3, 12, and 24 months. Group-based trajectory models were developed to identify trajectory subgroups for leg pain, back pain, and pain-related disability. We examined for differences in the proportion of patients achieving minimum clinically important change in pain and disability (30%) and clinical success (50% reduction in disability or Oswestry score ≤22) 12 months from surgery.

resultsData from 548 patients (mean[SD] age = 66.7[9.1] years; 46% female) were included. The models estimated 3 unique trajectories for leg pain (excellent outcome = 14.4%, good outcome = 49.5%, poor outcome = 36.1%), back pain (excellent outcome = 13.1%, good outcome = 45.0%, poor outcome = 41.9%), and disability (excellent outcome = 30.8%, fair outcome = 40.1%, poor outcome = 29.1%). The construct validity of the trajectory subgroups was confirmed by between-trajectory group differences in the proportion of patients meeting thresholds for minimum clinically important change and clinical success after 12 postoperative months (p < .001).

conclusionSubgroups of patients with degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis can be identified by their trajectories of pain and disability following surgery. Although most patients experienced important reductions in pain and disability, 29% to 42% of patients were classified as members of an outcome trajectory subgroup that experienced little to no benefit from surgery. These findings may inform appropriate expectation setting for patients and clinicians and highlight the need for better methods of treatment selection for patients with degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis.

Indexed as

AdultAgedDisability EvaluationFemaleHumansLumbar VertebraeMaleMiddle AgedPainPain MeasurementPersons with DisabilitiesSpinal StenosisSpondylolisthesisTreatment Outcome

Identifiers

PMID31697714
PMCPMC6837529

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

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.