Spine
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Reduction of bone retropulsed into the spinal canal in thoracolumbar vertebral body compression burst fractures. A prospective randomized comparative study between Harrington rods and two transpedicular devices.
This was a prospective, randomized study. ⋯ The differences in postoperative spinal canal encroachment and ability to obtain spinal canal clearance observed between the devices studied were small. There seems to be no reason to base the choice of the operative method in thoracolumbar fractures on any hypothetical differences in reductive power between Harrington rods and the AO internal fixator.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Interobserver and intraobserver variability in interpretation of lumbar disc abnormalities. A comparison of two nomenclatures.
A double-blind prospective study was used to measure interobserver and intraobserver variability when interpreting lumbar spine magnetic resonance imaging studies of disc abnormalities. ⋯ Experienced readers using standardized nomenclature showed moderate to substantial agreement with interpreting disc extension beyond the interspace on magnetic resonance imaging.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Intensive physical and psychosocial training program for patients with chronic low back pain. A controlled clinical trial.
The authors conducted a controlled clinical trial with 1-year follow-up to define the effectiveness of an intensive physical and psychosocial training program on patients with low back pain. ⋯ The intervention program could improve physical disability, but to improve occupational handicap, activities of the whole society (social legislation, labor market policy) are needed.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
The functional restoration approach to the treatment of chronic pain in patients with soft tissue and back injuries.
A prospective randomized study of 542 injured workers with continuing pain compared 271 workers who were treated at either one of two clinics that provided functional restoration with a control group of 271 subjects. Chronic pain was caused by low back injury in 78% of patients; 79% of those treated were at work 12 months after completion of treatment compared with 78% of the control subjects. When the patients were divided into subsets, based on the accident date and followed monthly, the duration of absence from work, the compensation costs, the disability award costs, and the total costs were less for those treated than the control subjects, but these were not statistically significant. Using the difference in total costs as a measure of relative success, back injuries had better results than other injuries in this study.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
The natural course of acute sciatica with nerve root symptoms in a double-blind placebo-controlled trial evaluating the effect of piroxicam.
To study the natural history of acute sciatica, 208 patients with obvious symptoms and signs of a lumbar radiculopathy (L5 and S1) were examined within 14 days of onset. A concomitant double-blind investigation of the effect of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug piroxicam was performed. ⋯ Based on questionnaires at months 3 and 12 approximately 30% of the patients still complained about back trouble and 19.5% were out of work after 1 year. Four patients underwent surgery during this period.