Table 4. Key characteristics for five clusters at 4 and 12 months.
| Cluster 1 Referred leg pain n=104 |
Cluster 2 Mild sciatica n=122 |
Cluster 3 Moderate sciatica n=188 |
Cluster 4 Severe sciatica n=69 |
Cluster 5 Atypical sciatica n=126 |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HADS anxiety probable n (%) | Baseline (n=609) |
32 (31.1) | 20 (16.4) | 34 (18.2) | 33 (47.8) | 52 (41.3) |
| 12 months (n=365) |
9 (15.0) | 8 (10.3) | 14 (11.7) | 7 (20.0) | 17 (23.6) | |
| HADs depression probable) n (%) | Baseline (n=609) |
12 (11.5) | 9 (7.4) | 21 (11.2) | 26 (37.7) | 30 (23.8) |
| 12 months (n=373) |
3 (4.8) | 2 (2.5) | 6 (5.0) | 5 (13.5) | 14 (19.2) | |
| EQ-5D-3L summary index (0-1) mean (SD) | Baseline (n=590) 4 months (n=341) 12 months (n=357) |
0.54 (0.30) | 0.66 (0.20) | 0.48 (0.30) | 0.13 (0.30) | 0.29 (0.30) |
| 0.73 (0.24) | 0.76 (0.21) | 0.65 (0.29) | 0.49 (0.40) | 0.44 (0.37) | ||
| 0.72 (0.23) | 0.77 (0.21) | 0.68 (0.28) | 0.62 (0.32) | 0.53 (0.38) | ||
| Sciatica bothersomeness index (SBI) (0-24) mean (SD) |
Baseline (n=582) |
11.1 (4.9) | 10.0 (4.4) | 14.7 (4.0) | 19.8 (3.5) | 17.2 (4.4) |
| 4 months a (n= 236) |
8.5 (5.2) | 8.5 (4.9) | 10.2 (5.4) | 14.5 (7.0) | 14.3 (5.7) | |
| 12 months a (n=187) |
9.6 (5.4) | 8.2 (4.7) | 10.9 (5.7) | 13.3 (5.6) | 14.1 (6.1) | |
| Pain self-efficacy (PSEQ) 0-60, mean (SD) | Baseline n=593 |
37.6 (12.4) | 42.9 (12.5) | 34.7 (12.3) | 22.5 (15.6) | 28.4 (14.3) |
| 4 months n=378 |
48.4 (10.7) | 49.1 (12.7) | 42.9 (14.3) | 37.8 (18.4) | 35.8 (17.5) | |
| 12 months n=364 |
48.6 (10.1) | 50.0 (11.6) | 44.1 (14.1) | 41.7 (17.7) | 38.4 (17.1) | |
| S-LANSS Neuropathic pain score (≥12) n (%) | Baseline n= 606 |
37 (35.6) | 44 (36.4) | 100 (53.2) | 45 (66.2) | 67 (53.6) |
| 4 months n=376 |
9 (15.3) | 12 (15.6) | 32 (25.4) | 15 (41.7) | 26 (33.3) | |
| 12 months n=348 |
8 (13.8) | 10 (13.7) | 31 (27.0) | 10 (28.6) | 20 (29.9) | |
| Global perceived recovery b (completely recovered, much better) n (%) | 4 months n= 394 |
19 (31) | 37 (46) | 55 (42) | 12 (32) | 16 (19) |
| 12 months n= 444 |
28 (38) | 42 (45) | 88 (40) | 19 (41) | 22 (27) |
SD, standard deviation; HADS, hospital anxiety and depression scale; EQ-5D-3L, EuroQoL; S-LANSS, self-report Leeds Assessment of Neuropathic Symptoms and Signs
a
SBI questionnaire only answered by patients whose pain from the back had spread down their legs in the last 2 weeks
b
compared to 4 (12) months ago, how do you think your back and/or leg pain has changed?