Table 1. Baseline Characteristics, Coexisting Illnesses, and Measures of Health Status.
| Patients with chronic radicular pain (N = 50)a | |
|---|---|
| Age, median (IQR), y | 50 (45-59) |
| Sex | |
| Male | 23 (46) |
| Female | 27 (54) |
| Any college | 19 (38) |
| Current smoker | 14 (28) |
| Body mass index, median (IQR)b | 27.2 (24.3-29.8) |
| American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status class >IIc | 5 (10) |
| Had relevant comorbidityd | 32 (64) |
| Hypertension | 9 (18) |
| Chronic musculoskeletal pain | 7 (14) |
| Chronic lung disease | 6 (12) |
| Gastrointestinal disease | 4 (8) |
| Cardiovascular disease | 3 (6) |
| Osteoarthritis in knee, hip, or both | 3 (6) |
| Other endocrine disorders | 2 (4) |
| Cerebrovascular disease | 2 (4) |
| Diabetes | 1 (2) |
| Osteoporosis | 1 (2) |
| Chronic kidney disease | 1 (2) |
| Chronic neurological disease | 1 (2) |
| Vascular claudication | 1 (2) |
| Depression or anxiety | 1 (2) |
| Ankylosing spondylitis | 1 (2) |
| Cancer | 0 |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 0 |
| Other rheumatic diseases | 0 |
| Daily pain medication usee | 32 (64) |
| Opioid analgesics | 18 (36) |
| Gabapentinoids | 17 (34) |
| Acetaminophen (paracetamol) | 17 (34) |
| Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs | 5 (10) |
| Antidepressants | 3 (6) |
| Lumbar spine surgeries | |
| No. of prior procedures, median (IQR) | 2 (1-3) |
| Diskectomy | 38 (76) |
| Fusion | 13 (26) |
| Decompressive surgery | 11 (22) |
a
Data are expressed as No. (%) unless otherwise indicated.
b
Calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared.
c
Used to assess a patient’s physical health and comorbidities to predict perioperative risk prior to surgery. Patients with class III or higher have significant systemic disease.
d
Recorded by the surgeon using a standard registration form and a predefined set of comorbidities.
e
Recorded by the surgeon using a standard registration form.