Back Pain Research on Lumbar Fusion and Other Treatments for Disc-Derived Pain
Discogenic pain is low back pain due to the wearing away of a disc between the vertebrae. While treatment for this condition is often lumbar spinal fusion, its effectiveness, as well as that of other treatments, has not been established.
A new back pain research study will compare the results of spinal fusion with those of non-surgical care for patients with similar disc degeneration. Researchers will also try to find out:
What distinguishes people who choose surgery from those who do not choose surgery
The consequences of common complications of spinal fusion surgery and how often they occur
What predicts a good response to surgical therapy but not to other treatments
What are the characteristics and outcomes of patients who have repeat back surgery for this condition.
Back Pain Research on Complications of Lumbar Fusion Surgery
Lumbar spinal fusion is a commonly performed procedure for several back problems, including disc degeneration, spondylolisthesis, spinal stenosis, and scoliosis. However, lumbar spinal fusion can have complications. A new back pain research study will follow 1,000 people who have spinal fusion for back pain to find out:
How often complications occur after surgery
How the rates of specific serious complications vary with different types of lumbar fusion
The consequences of specific types of complications
The characteristics of treatments for patients that predict particularly severe complications.
This information will help doctors better assess the benefits versus the risks of this procedure.
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