Table 1.
Preoperative base-line data
| Total (n=56) | ETG (n=25) | CG (n=31) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (mean=median) | 38 | 37 | 39 |
| Sex | |||
| Females | 20 | 6 | 14 |
| Males | 36 | 19 | 17 |
| Occupation | |||
| Sedentary | 23 | 9 | 14 |
| Intermediate | 22 | 10 | 12 |
| Heavy | 11 | 6 | 5 |
| Analgesics | |||
| Regular use | 30 | 14 | 16 |
| Sporadic | 14 | 6 | 8 |
| No | 12 | 5 | 7 |
| VAS leg pain (median) | 70 | 63 | 70 |
| VAS back pain (median) | 30 | 30 | 30 |
| Roland–Morris (median) | 14 | 14 | 14.5 |
| DRI (median) | 4.8 (n=33) | 5.3 (n=15) | 4.6 (n=18) |
No significant difference in pain, disability, consumption of analgesics, age, or type of occupation. The ETG consisted of fewer females than the CG; the number of males was equivalent