Comparison 1. Decompression ± fusion vs usual conservative care for Oswestry Disability Index.

Outcome or subgroup title	No. of studies	No. of participants	Statistical method	Effect size
1 Oswestry Disability Index	2		Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI)	Subtotals only
1.1 6 months	2	349	Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI)	‐3.66 [‐10.12, 2.80]
1.2 1 year	2	340	Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI)	‐6.17 [‐15.02, 2.67]
1.3 2 years	2	315	Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI)	‐4.43 [‐7.91, ‐0.96]
2 Pain	1		Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	Subtotals only
2.1 3 months	1	31	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.38 [0.22, 8.59]
2.2 4 years	1	30	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	7.5 [1.00, 56.48]
2.3 10 years	1	29	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	4.09 [0.95, 17.58]