Table 1.
Patient baseline demographic characteristics, comorbidities, and health status measures according to study cohort and treatment received.
| SPORT Study Cohort | Randomized and Observational Cohorts Combined: Treatment Received* |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Randomized | Observational | Surgery | Non- Operative |
|||
| (n=278) | (n=356) | (n=413) | (n=221) | |||
| Mean Age (stdev) | 65.5 (10.5) | 63.9 (12.5) | 0.098 | 63.8 (12.2) | 66.1 (10.4) | 0.019 |
| Female | 106 (38%) | 143 (40%) | 0.66 | 159 (38%) | 90 (41%) | 0.64 |
| Ethnicity: Not Hispanic† | 259 (93%) | 346 (97%) | 0.027 | 396 (96%) | 209 (95%) | 0.58 |
| Race - White | 238 (86%) | 295 (83%) | 0.41 | 349 (85%) | 184 (83%) | 0.77 |
| Education - At least some college | 176 (63%) | 225 (63%) | 0.96 | 259 (63%) | 142 (64%) | 0.77 |
| Marital Status - Married | 197 (71%) | 249 (70%) | 0.87 | 300 (73%) | 146 (66%) | 0.10 |
| Work Status | 0.12 | 0.32 | ||||
| Full or part time | 88 (32%) | 128 (36%) | 147 (36%) | 69 (31%) | ||
| Disabled | 24 ( 9%) | 36 (10%) | 40 (10%) | 20 ( 9%) | ||
| Retired | 144 (52%) | 152 (43%) | 182 (44%) | 114 (52%) | ||
| Other | 22 ( 8%) | 40 (11%) | 44 (11%) | 18 ( 8%) | ||
| Compensation - Any‡ | 21 (8%) | 27 (8%) | 0.89 | 30 (7%) | 18 (8%) | 0.81 |
| Mean Body Mass Index (BMI), (stdev)§ | 29.8 (5.6) | 29.3 (5.6) | 0.31 | 29.4 (5.3) | 29.8 (6.1) | 0.44 |
| Smoker | 34 (12%) | 28 (8%) | 0.089 | 37 (9%) | 25 (11%) | 0.42 |
| Comorbidities | ||||||
| Hypertension | 134 (48%) | 154 (43%) | 0.25 | 175 (42%) | 113 (51%) | 0.043 |
| Diabetes | 50 (18%) | 46 (13%) | 0.098 | 57 (14%) | 39 (18%) | 0.24 |
| Osteoporosis | 22 (8%) | 38 (11%) | 0.30 | 32 (8%) | 28 (13%) | 0.061 |
| Heart Problem | 80 (29%) | 85 (24%) | 0.19 | 102 (25%) | 63 (29%) | 0.34 |
| Stomach Problem | 60 (22%) | 79 (22%) | 0.93 | 86 (21%) | 53 (24%) | 0.41 |
| Bowel or Intestinal Problem | 36 (13%) | 50 (14%) | 0.78 | 50 (12%) | 36 (16%) | 0.18 |
| Depression | 36 (13%) | 34 (10%) | 0.22 | 46 (11%) | 24 (11%) | 0.98 |
| Joint Problem | 158 (57%) | 188 (53%) | 0.35 | 222 (54%) | 124 (56%) | 0.63 |
| Other¶ | 95 (34%) | 125 (35%) | 0.87 | 143 (35%) | 77 (35%) | 0.97 |
| Time since most recent episode > 6 months | 158 (57%) | 210 (59%) | 0.64 | 245 (59%) | 123 (56%) | 0.42 |
| Bodily Pain (BP) Score∥ | 31.9 (17.5) | 31.4 (17.4) | 0.73 | 28.9 (16.2) | 36.6 (18.6) | <0.001 |
| Physical Functioning (PF) Score | 35.4 (22.6) | 34.3 (23.8) | 0.55 | 31.8 (21.8) | 40.5 (24.8) | <0.001 |
| Mental Component Summary (MCS) Score | 49.8 (12.4) | 49.1 (11.6) | 0.47 | 48.6 (12) | 50.9 (11.7) | 0.023 |
| Oswestry (ODI)** | 42.7 (17.9) | 42.1 (19) | 0.70 | 45.6 (17.9) | 36.3 (18.1) | <0.001 |
| Stenosis Frequency Index (0-24)†† | 13.5 (5.7) | 14.2 (5.8) | 0.13 | 15 (5.5) | 11.8 (5.7) | <0.001 |
| Stenosis Bothersome Index (0-24)‡‡ | 13.9 (5.7) | 14.7 (5.8) | 0.084 | 15.4 (5.4) | 12.4 (5.8) | <0.001 |
| Back Pain Bothersomeness§§ | 4 (1.9) | 4.2 (1.8) | 0.19 | 4.2 (1.8) | 3.8 (1.8) | 0.012 |
| Leg Pain Bothersomeness¶¶ | 4.3 (1.7) | 4.4 (1.7) | 0.44 | 4.5 (1.6) | 3.9 (1.8) | <0.001 |
| Satisfaction with symptoms - very dissatisfied | 183 (66%) | 250 (70%) | 0.27 | 320 (77%) | 113 (51%) | <0.001 |
| Problem getting better or worse | 0.48 | <0.001 | ||||
| Getting better | 18 ( 6%) | 28 ( 8%) | 14 ( 3%) | 32 (14%) | ||
| Staying about the same | 95 (34%) | 108 (30%) | 115 (28%) | 88 (40%) | ||
| Getting worse | 160 (58%) | 218 (61%) | 277 (67%) | 101 (46%) | ||
| Treatment preference | <0.001 | <0.001 | ||||
| Definitely prefer non-surg | 37 (13%) | 86 (24%) | 38 ( 9%) | 85 (38%) | ||
| Probably prefer non-surg | 61 (22%) | 45 (13%) | 43 (10%) | 63 (29%) | ||
| Not sure | 95 (34%) | 26 ( 7%) | 67 (16%) | 54 (24%) | ||
| Probably prefer surgery | 51 (18%) | 36 (10%) | 75 (18%) | 12 ( 5%) | ||
| Definitely prefer surgery | 33 (12%) | 163 (46%) | 190 (46%) | 6 ( 3%) | ||
| Pseudoclaudication - Any | 219 (79%) | 289 (81%) | 0.51 | 334 (81%) | 174 (79%) | 0.59 |
| SLR or Femoral Tension | 41 (15%) | 91 (26%) | 0.001 | 89 (22%) | 43 (19%) | 0.61 |
| Pain radiation - any | 215 (77%) | 284 (80%) | 0.52 | 322 (78%) | 177 (80%) | 0.60 |
| Any Neurological Deficit | 146 (53%) | 203 (57%) | 0.29 | 223 (54%) | 126 (57%) | 0.52 |
| Reflexes - Asymmetric Depressed | 76 (27%) | 92 (26%) | 0.74 | 109 (26%) | 59 (27%) | 0.99 |
| Sensory - Asymmetric Decrease | 68 (24%) | 114 (32%) | 0.046 | 122 (30%) | 60 (27%) | 0.59 |
| Motor - Asymmetric Weakness | 71 (26%) | 106 (30%) | 0.28 | 109 (26%) | 68 (31%) | 0.28 |
| Stenosis Levels | ||||||
| L2-L3 | 77 (28%) | 102 (29%) | 0.86 | 123 (30%) | 56 (25%) | 0.27 |
| L3-L4 | 183 (66%) | 237 (67%) | 0.91 | 278 (67%) | 142 (64%) | 0.49 |
| L4-L5 | 255 (92%) | 324 (91%) | 0.86 | 380 (92%) | 199 (90%) | 0.49 |
| L5-S1 | 72 (26%) | 101 (28%) | 0.55 | 105 (25%) | 68 (31%) | 0.18 |
| Stenotic Levels (Mod/Severe) | 0.45 | 0.15 | ||||
| None | 4 ( 1%) | 11 ( 3%) | - | 6 ( 1%) | 9 ( 4%) | - |
| One | 106 (38%) | 128 (36%) | - | 148 (36%) | 86 (39%) | - |
| Two | 109 (39%) | 132 (37%) | - | 162 (39%) | 79 (36%) | - |
| Three+ | 59 (21%) | 85 (24%) | - | 97 (23%) | 47 (21%) | - |
| Stenosis Locations | ||||||
| Central | 241 (87%) | 302 (85%) | 0.58 | 357 (86%) | 186 (84%) | 0.51 |
| Lateral Recess | 236 (85%) | 267 (75%) | 0.003 | 334 (81%) | 169 (76%) | 0.23 |
| Neuroforamen | 88 (32%) | 119 (33%) | 0.70 | 124 (30%) | 83 (38%) | 0.066 |
| Stenosis Severity | 0.24 | 0.006 | ||||
| Mild | 4 ( 1%) | 11 ( 3%) | - | 6 ( 1%) | 9 ( 4%) | - |
| Moderate | 131 (47%) | 151 (42%) | - | 171 (41%) | 111 (50%) | - |
| Severe | 143 (51%) | 194 (54%) | - | 236 (57%) | 101 (46%) | - |
Patients in the two cohorts combined were classified according to whether they received surgical treatment or only nonsurgical treatment during the first 4 years of enrollment.
Race or ethnic group was self-assessed. Whites and blacks could be either Hispanic or non-Hispanic.
This category includes patients who were receiving or had applications pending for workers compensation, Social Security compensation, or other compensation.
The body-mass index is the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters.
Other = problems related to stroke, cancer, fibromyalgia, CGS, PTSD, alcohol, drug dependency, lung, liver, kidney, blood vessel, nervous system, migraine or anxiety.
The SF-36 scores range from 0 to 100, with higher score indicating less severe symptoms.
The Oswestry Disability Index ranges from 0 to 100, with lower scores indicating less severe symptoms.
The Stenosis Frequency Index ranges from 0 to 24, with lower scores indicating less severe symptoms.
The Stenosis Bothersomeness Index ranges from 0 to 24, with lower scores indicating less severe symptoms.
The Low Back Pain Bothersomness Scale ranges from 0 to 6, with lower scores indicating less severe symptoms
The Leg Pain Bothersomeness Scale ranges from 0 to 6, with lower scores indicating less severe symptoms.