Aalto, Timo J.; Malmivaara, Antti; Kovacs, Francisco; Herno, Arto; Alen, Markku; Salmi, Liisa; Kroger, Heikki; Andrade, Juan; Jimenez, Rosa; Tapaninaho, Antti; Turunen, Veli; Savolainen, Sakari; Airaksinen, Olavi
This systematic review defines preoperative factors predicting clinical outcome after lumbar spinal stenosis surgery. The article concludes that depression, cardiovascular comorbidity, disorder influencing walking ability, and scoliosis predicted poorer subjective outcome. Better walking ability, self-rated health, higher income, less overall comorbidity, and pronounced central stenosis predicted better subjective outcome. Male gender and younger age predicted better postoperative walking ability. The predictive value may be outcome specific; thus, the use of all relevant outcome measures is recommended when studying predictors of lumbar spinal stenosis.
Spine. 31(18):E648-E663, August 15, 2006.