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
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Trabecular metal spacers as standalone or with pedicle screw augmentation, in posterior lumbar interbody fusion: a prospective, randomized controlled trial.
This prospective randomized comparative trial compared radiological and clinical outcome of Trabecular Metal™ (TM) spacers in PLIF, used as standalone (SA) devices, to TM spacers in PLIF with pedicle screw fixation (PF), in patients with single-level degenerative disc disease (DDD). ⋯ In this study, TM spacers were found to provide a solid construct at more than 6-year follow-up after PLIF for DDD both with and without additional pedicle fixation. The clinical, but also radiological results were not significantly different between both cohorts. Future studies focusing on the differences of SA and PF at L4/5 level should be powered to study differences in post-surgery stability at the long term.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
IPD without bony decompression versus conventional surgical decompression for lumbar spinal stenosis: 2-year results of a double-blind randomized controlled trial.
Interspinous process devices (IPDs) are implanted to treat patients with intermittent neurogenic claudication (INC) based on lumbar spinal stenosis. It is hypothesized that patients with lumbar spinal stenosis treated with IPD have a faster short-term recovery, an equal outcome after 2 years and less back pain compared with bony decompression. ⋯ This double-blinded study could not confirm the advantage of IPD without bony decompression over conventional 'simple' decompression, two years after surgery. Moreover, in the IPD treatment arm, the reoperation rate was higher and back pain was even slightly more intense compared to the decompression treatment arm.
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The objective was to assess the effects of therapeutic nuclear magnetic resonance (tNMR) as a conservative treatment for lumbar radicular syndrome (LRS) in patients with lumbar disc herniation. ⋯ This trial was the first to investigate the effects of tNMR as an additional treatment of lumbar disc herniation with LRS. The application of tNMR did not meet MCID criteria. It rendered few statistically significant differences between patient groups. The overall results of this trial make a clinical implementation of tNMR in the treatment of lumbar disc herniation with LRS appear premature. Further research is needed to better understand the mode of action of tNMR on compressed neural tissue and to elucidate the issue of the cost/benefit ratio.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Pharmacological management of chronic low back pain in older patients: a randomized controlled trial of the effect of pregabalin and opioid administration.
Pregabalin and opioids are used to treat chronic low back pain (LBP). No previous investigations have compared the efficacy of pregabalin and that of opioids for chronic LBP. ⋯ Aside from screening tests, consideration of neuropathic pain and lower extremity symptoms may be an integral component in the selection of the appropriate medication for chronic LBP. Moreover, the therapeutic objectives, including pain relief and/or improvement of ADL, should be specified.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
The prognostic value of electrodiagnostic testing in patients with sciatica receiving physical therapy.
To investigate the prognostic value of electrodiagnostic testing in patients with sciatica receiving physical therapy. ⋯ The presence of lumbosacral radiculopathy identified with electrodiagnostic testing is a favorable prognostic factor for recovery in low back pain-related disability regardless of physical therapy treatment received.