Journal of back and musculoskeletal rehabilitation
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J Back Musculoskelet Rehabil · Jan 2015
Meta Analysis Comparative StudyMeta-analysis of randomized trials comparing fusion surgery to non-surgical treatment for discogenic chronic low back pain.
Chronic low back pain causes socioeconomic burdens. Whether lumbar fusion is more effective than nonsurgical treatment of discogenic low back pain (DLBP) is controversial. Several randomized controlled trials that compared conservative treatment and fusion surgery had conflicting conclusions. ⋯ Fusion surgery was not superior to nonsurgical treatment in terms of changes in ODI scores for DLBP. Fusion surgery resulted in surgical complications. Longer follow-up observation is necessary regarding condition-specific disability, pain, and life satisfaction.