Table 1.
Demographic data and baseline characteristics in the two groups.
| Early (n = 25) | Late (n = 23) | P | |
| Sex, male/female | 16/9 | 15/8 | .930∗ |
| Age (years) | 38.44 ± 12.19 | 39.17 ± 18.23 | .870† |
| Occupation, white collar/blue collar/others | 13/6/9 | 9/4/10 | .534∗ |
| Smoking | 14 | 8 | .141∗ |
| Alcohol | 16 | 9 | .108∗ |
| Height (cm) | 168.58 ± 7.61 | 168.13 ± 11.95 | .877† |
| Weight (kg) | 70.25 ± 13.15 | 71.68 ± 19.99 | .769† |
| Body mass index (kg/m2) | 24.65 ± 3.95 | 25.04 ± 4.32 | .750† |
| Symptom duration (days) | 141.32 (95% CI, 46.32–236.32) | 75.26 (95% CI, 29.73–120.79) | .215‡ |
| Previous block | 12 | 15 | .230∗ |
| Trauma | 2 | 1 | .602∗ |
| Weakness | 9 | 9 | .823∗ |
| Surgery level, L3–L4/L4–L5/L5–S1 | 3/22/0 | 2/19/2 | .749∗ |
| Pfirrmann grade, III/IV/V | 21/4/0 | 15/7/1 | .326∗ |
| Side, right/central/left | 9/5/11 | 8/1/14 | .222∗ |
| Type of ruptured disc, migrated/non-migrated | 6/19 | 6/17 | .868∗ |
| Volume index of the ruptured disc (mm3) | 1054.74 (95%CI, 841.46–1268.01) | 769.23 (95%CI, 488.78–1049.68) | .233‡ |
Volume index of the ruptured disc = anteroposterior × transverse × sagittal diameter of the ruptured fragment.
CI = confidence interval.
∗
Pearson's chi square test.
†
Independent t test.
‡
Non-parametric Mann–Whitney U test.