Surgery versus nonsurgical treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis: a randomized trial.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Primary care management decisions for patients with symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) are challenging, and nonsurgical guidance is limited by lack of evidence.

Objective

To compare surgical decompression with physical therapy (PT) for LSS and evaluate sex differences.

Design

Multisite randomized, controlled trial. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00022776).

Setting

Neurologic and orthopedic surgery departments and PT clinics.

Participants

Surgical candidates with LSS aged 50 years or older who consented to surgery.

Intervention

Surgical decompression or PT.

Measurements

Primary outcome was physical function score on the Short Form-36 Health Survey at 2 years assessed by masked testers.

Results

The study took place from Novem

SUBMITTER: Delitto A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6252248 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature