Table 2.

Area Under Curve subgroup results from the adjusted^* as-treated Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) outcome analysis for the three significant treatment effect predictors (joint, martial status, baseline health trend) (Time weighted average 4 years treatment effects)

Predictors	N	Surgical (n = 788)	Non-operative (n = 404)	Treatment Effect†(95% CI)
No Joint Problem	963	−37.9 (0.6)	−23.3 (0.7)	−14.6 (−16.3, −12.9)
Joint Problem	221	−30.8 (1.2)	−20.5 (1.4)	−10.3 (−13.4, −7.3)
p-value		<0.001	0.062	0.012
Married	835	−37.4 (0.6)	−21.5 (0.8)	−15.8 (−17.6, −14)
Divorced/Widowed	130	−33.1 (1.5)	−21.6 (2)	−11.5 (−15.7, −7.3)
Single	212	−36.2 (1.3)	−28.5 (1.5)	−7.7 (−10.9, −4.5)
p-value		0.023	<0.001	<0.001
Problem getting better	179	−39.9 (1.5)	−27.3 (1.3)	−12.6 (−15.9, −9.3)
Problem staying about the same	534	−36.4 (0.8)	−24.6 (0.9)	−11.8 (−13.8, −9.7)
Problem getting worse	472	−34.8 (0.8)	−18.9 (1.2)	−15.9 (−18.5, −13.4)
p-value		0.013	<0.001	0.032

^*Adjusted for age, gender, marital status, smoking status, race, compensation, herniation location, working status, stomach comorbidity, depression, othe^**comorbidity, self-rated health trend, duration of most recent episode, treatment preference and baseline score (for SF-36 and ODI), and center.

^†Treatment effect is the difference between the surgical and non-operative mean change from baseline.

^**Other comorbidities include: stroke, diabetes, osteoporosis, cancer, fibromyalgia, cerebrospinal fluid leak, PTSD, alcohol, drug dependency, heart, lung, liver, kidney, blood vessel, nervous system, hypertension, migraine, anxiety, stomach, or bowel problems.