Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40105994›Full record

ArticleEuropean spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society2025

Untreated symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis and health-related quality of life: the locomotive Syndrome and Health Outcome in Aizu Cohort Study (LOHAS).

Takeru Yokota, Kinshi Kato, Miho Sekiguchi, Koji Otani, Takuya Nikaido, Kazuyuki Watanabe, Hiroshi Kobayashi, Ryoji Tominaga, Michiyuki Hakozaki, Takuya Kameda and 4 more

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Article in 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, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Preoperative health-related quality of life across four degenerative lumbar conditions in a multi-ethnic Southeast Asian surgical cohort: a cross-sectional SF-36 analysis.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2026
    Article
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

14 authors.

Takeru YokotaDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, 1 Hikarigaoka, Fukushima City, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan.
Kinshi KatoDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, 1 Hikarigaoka, Fukushima City, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan. kinshi@fmu.ac.jp.ORCID 0000-0002-1749-7274
Miho SekiguchiDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, 1 Hikarigaoka, Fukushima City, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan.
Koji OtaniDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, 1 Hikarigaoka, Fukushima City, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan.
Takuya NikaidoDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, 1 Hikarigaoka, Fukushima City, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan.
Kazuyuki WatanabeDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, 1 Hikarigaoka, Fukushima City, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan.
Hiroshi KobayashiDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, 1 Hikarigaoka, Fukushima City, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan.
Ryoji TominagaDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, 1 Hikarigaoka, Fukushima City, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan.
Michiyuki HakozakiDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, 1 Hikarigaoka, Fukushima City, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan.
Takuya KamedaDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, 1 Hikarigaoka, Fukushima City, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan.
Yoichi KaneuchiDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, 1 Hikarigaoka, Fukushima City, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan.
Shoji YabukiDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, 1 Hikarigaoka, Fukushima City, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan.
Shin-Ichi KonnoDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, 1 Hikarigaoka, Fukushima City, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan.
Yoshihiro MatsumotoDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, 1 Hikarigaoka, Fukushima City, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThis study compared health-related quality of life (HRQoL) between untreated and conservatively treated patients with symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) using data from the Locomotive Syndrome and Health Outcome in Aizu Cohort Study.

methodsWe retrospectively analyzed HRQoL using the SF-12 survey in patients diagnosed with symptomatic LSS via a self-reported history questionnaire. LSS treatment history was confirmed through physician interviews. The study included untreated (UTG) and conservatively treated patients (CTG). One-to-one nearest-neighbor propensity score matching compared patients receiving and not receiving conservative treatment. Propensity scores were calculated using background data: age, sex, height, weight, smoking, difficulty walking 100 m, urinary incontinence during walking, comorbidities, musculoskeletal disease treatment history, and questionnaires (depression screening, low back pain-specific QoL, self-efficacy regarding falls, physical activity assessment, and the 2008 SF-12).

resultsIn 2008, 376 patients were diagnosed with symptomatic LSS. At the 1-year follow-up, 251 were untreated, 144 received conservative treatment, and 11 underwent lumbar spinal surgery. Before matching, overall HRQoL was lower in the CTG than in the UTG at baseline and 1-year follow-up. Mental health scores in the CTG significantly decreased at the 1-year follow-up. After matching, the median change in mental health scores was significantly lower in the CTG than in the UTG.

conclusionAt baseline and the 1-year follow-up, HRQoL was lower in the CTG compared to the UTG. Additionally, there was no apparent QoL deterioration in the UTG during the 1-year follow-up, even when patients followed their natural medical consultation behaviors.

Indexed as

Lumbar VertebraeQuality of LifeSpinal StenosisAgedCohort StudiesConservative TreatmentFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesSyndromeConservative treatmentLumbar spinal stenosisQuality of lifeUntreated

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Registered trials

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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.