Advertisement for orthosearch.org.uk
Orthopaedic Proceedings Logo

Receive monthly Table of Contents alerts from Orthopaedic Proceedings

Comprehensive article alerts can be set up and managed through your account settings

View my account settings

Visit Orthopaedic Proceedings at:

Loading...

Loading...

Full Access

Research

FUNCTION AFTER SPINAL TREATMENT, EXERCISE AND REHABILITATION (FASTER): A FACTORIAL RANDOMISED TRIAL TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE FUNCTIONAL OUTCOME OF SPINAL SURGERY CAN BE IMPROVED

Society for Back Pain Research (SBPR) Annual Meeting



Abstract

Introduction

This study sought to determine whether the functional outcome of two common spinal operations could be improved by a programme of post-operative rehabilitation and/or an educational booklet each compared with usual care.

Methods

This was a multi-centre, factorial, randomised controlled trial on the post operative management of spinal surgery patients, with randomisation stratified by surgeon and operative procedure. The study compared the effectiveness of a rehabilitation programme and an education booklet for the postoperative management of patients undergoing discectomy or lateral nerve root decompression surgery, each compared with “usual care” using a 2 × 2 factorial design, randomising patient to four groups; rehabilitation-only, booklet-only, rehabilitation-plus-booklet, and usual care only. The primary outcome measure was the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) at 12 months, with secondary outcomes including visual analogue scale measures of back and leg pain. An economic analysis was also performed.

Results

338 patients were recruited into the study with outcomes preformed pre-operatively, and postoperatively at 6 weeks, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months post-operatively. At the one year review the effect of rehabilitation on ODI was −2.7 (95% CI −6.8 to 1.5) and the effect of booklet was 2.7 (95% CI −1.5 to 6.9). There were no significant differences in costs or outcomes associated with either intervention and neither intervention was cost-effective.

Discussion

This study found that neither intervention had a significant impact on long term outcome or cost. There was some evidence to suggest that the impact of the interventions was different between patients undergoing discectomy and those having spinal decompression.

Conflicts of Interest

None

Source of Funding

Arthritis Research UK

Previously presented at International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine 2011