Table 5.

Preoperative and postoperative ESR and CRP in the affected-vertebrae fixation group and short-segment fixation group ($\overline{x}\pm s$)

Groups	Cases	Before surgery		6 months after surgery		5 years after surgery
		ESR (mm/h)	CRP (mg/l)	ESR (mm/h)	CRP (mg/l)	ESR (mm/h)	CRP (mg/l)
Affected-vertebrae fixation group	71	36.5 ± 22.5	27.0 ± 24.9	16.6 ± 4.2	2.2 ± 1.7	9.3 ± 2.4	1.4 ± 1.1
95% CI		31.3 to 41.7	21.3 to 32.7	15.6 to 17.6	1.8 to 2.6	8.7 to 9.9	1.1 to 1.7
Short-segment fixation group	64	40.4 ± 20.1	25.8 ± 22.3	17.4 ± 3.7	2.4 ± 2.3	8.6 ± 3.5	1.1 ± 1.5
95% CI		35.5 to 45.3	20.3 to 31.3	16.5 to 18.3	1.8 to 3.0	7.7 to 9.5	0.7 to 1.5
p value		0.349	0.718	0.245	0.498	0.174	0.164

The normal range for ESR: male 0–15 mm/h, female 0–20 mm/h; the normal range for CRP 0–2.87 mg/l

CRP C-reactive protein, ESR erythrocyte sedimentation rate