ArticleGlobal spine journal2025
The Duration of Symptoms Influences Outcomes After Lumbar Microdiscectomies: A Michigan Spine Surgery Improvement Collaborative.
Article in Global spine journal, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
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.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed, 5 citations in OpenAlex.
- Review
- Comparison of the efficacy of microendoscopic discectomy and percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy for treating adolescent lumbar disc herniation.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Increase in (semi-) acute non-instrumented lumbar spine surgeries during the COVID-19 pandemic.Brain & spine · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
12 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
STUDY
designRetrospective Cohort.
objectiveWe investigate whether duration of symptoms a patient experiences prior to lumbar microdiscectomy affects pain, lifestyle, and return to work metrics after surgery.
methodsA retrospective review of patients with a diagnosis of lumbar radiculopathy undergoing microdiscectomy was conducted using a statewide registry. Patients were grouped based on self-reported duration of symptoms prior to surgical intervention (Group 1: symptoms less than 3 months; Group 2: symptoms between 3 months and 1 year; and Group 3: symptoms greater than 1 year). Radicular pain scores, PROMIS PF Physical Function measure (PROMIS PF), EQ-5D scores, and return to work rates at 90 days, 1 year, and 2 years after surgery were compared using univariate and multivariate analysis.
resultsThere were 2408 patients who underwent microdiscectomy for lumbar disc herniation for radiculopathy with 532, 910, and 955 in Groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Postoperative leg pain was lower for Group 1 at 90 days, 1 year, and 2 years compared to Groups 2 and 3 (
conclusionPatients with prolonged symptoms prior to surgical intervention experience smaller improvements in postoperative leg pain, PROMIS PF, and EQ-5D than those who undergo surgery earlier. Patients undergoing surgery within 3 months of symptom onset have the highest rates of return to work at 1 year after surgery.
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Registered trials
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