Table 3.
Results of the meta-analysis comparison of decompression versus decompression combined with fusion.
| Groups | Overall effect | Heterogeneity | ||||||
| Outcome | Studies | Decompression | Fusion | Effect estimates | 95% CI | P-value | I2 (%) | P-value |
| LBP VAS score | 4 | 231 | 310 | –0.045 | –1.259, 1.169 | .942 | 75.1% | .007 |
| LP VAS score | 3 | 198 | 293 | 0.075 | –1.201, 1.351 | .908 | 82.8% | .003 |
| ODI score | 2 | 173 | 268 | 1.489 | –7.232, 10.211 | .738 | 74.9% | .046 |
| Odom classification | 3 | 77 | 82 | 0.353 | 0.113, 1.099 | .072 | 76.4% | .005 |
| Complications | 5 | 250 | 350 | 0.437 | 0.065, 2.949 | .395 | 78.5% | .003 |
| Re-operation | 3 | 77 | 82 | 2.541 | 0.897, 7.198 | .079 | 0.0% | .613 |
EQ-5D = European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions, LBP = low back pain, LP = leg pain, ODI = Oswestry Disability Index, VAS = visual analog scales.