Table 2.
Clinical presentation.
| Timing |
Admission |
Pre-operative |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Source | Clinician reported |
Participant reported |
Combined participant and clinician reported |
|||||
| Symptoms |
Missing | Examination |
Missing | Symptoms |
Missing | Combined |
Missing | |
| n = 621 | n = 621 | n = 263 | n = 621 | |||||
| Sciatica | 563/621 (91%) | 0 | .. | .. | 235/253 (93%) | 10 | 578/621 (93%) | 0 |
| Bilateral | 258/562 (46%) | 1 | .. | .. | 160/233 (69%) | 12 | .. | .. |
| Back pain | 593/621 (95%) | 0 | .. | .. | 251/259 (97%) | 4 | 598/621 (96%) | 0 |
| Leg weakness | 257/619 (42%) | 2 | 338/621 (54%) | 0 | .. | .. | 376/621 (61%) | 0 |
| Bilateral | 82/257 (32%) | 2 | 124/338 (37%) | 0 | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Myotomal | 108/257 (42%) | 3 | 217/338 (64%) | 0 | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| KF | 11/106 (10%) | 4 | 35/217 (16%) | 0 | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| KE | 9/106 (8%) | 4 | 48/217 (22%) | 0 | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| AD | 88/106 (83%) | 4 | 156/217 (72%) | 0 | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| AP | 53/106 (50%) | 4 | 103/217 (47%) | .. | .. | .. | .. | |
| Leg numbness | 387/620 (62%) | 1 | 443/621 (71%) | 0 | .. | .. | 481/621 (77%) | 0 |
| Bilateral | 132/387 (34%) | 1 | 118/443 (27%) | 0 | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Dermatomal | 231/386 (60%) | 2 | 343/442 (78%) | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| L1 | 2/231 (1%) | 2 | 8/343 (2%) | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| L2 | 4/231 (2%) | 2 | 13/343 (4%) | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| L3 | 18/231 (8%) | 2 | 38/343 (11%) | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| L4 | 77/231 (33%) | 2 | 135/343 (39%) | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| L5 | 156/231 (68%) | 2 | 247/343 (72%) | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| S1 | 143/231 (62%) | 2 | 228/343 (66%) | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Reflexes | ||||||||
| KJ reduced/absent | .. | .. | 84/484 (17%) | 137 | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Bilateral | .. | .. | 44/84 (52%) | 137 | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| AJ reduced/absent | .. | .. | 221/465 (48%) | 156 | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Bilateral | .. | .. | 120/221 (54%) | 156 | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Mobility | ||||||||
| Independent, no restrictions | .. | .. | 211/613 (34%) | 8 | 20/237 (8%) | 26 | 170/618 (28%) | 3 |
| Independent, limited distance | .. | .. | 238/613 (39%) | 8 | 89/237 (38%) | 26 | 217/618 (35%) | 3 |
| Using stick/crutches | .. | .. | 78/613 (13%) | 8 | 49/237 (21%) | 26 | 100/618 (16%) | 3 |
| Using walker/zimmer | .. | .. | 15/613 (2%) | 8 | 8/237 (3%) | 26 | 19/618 (3%) | 3 |
| Transfers only | .. | .. | 31/613 (5%) | 8 | 32/237 (14%) | 26 | 50/618 (8%) | 3 |
| Bed bound | .. | .. | 40/613 (7%) | 8 | 39/237 (16%) | 26 | 62/618 (10%) | 3 |
| SLR restricted | – | .. | 231/257 (90%) | 364 | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Bilateral | .. | .. | 115/231 (50%) | 364 | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Altered saddle sensation | 416/619 (67%) | 2 | 417/575 (73%) | 46 | 161/229 (70%) | 34 | 502/620 (81%) | 1 |
| Bilateral | 259/412 (63%) | 6 | 222/417 (53%) | 46 | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Bladder symptoms | 499/621 (80%) | .. | .. | 176/231 (76%) | 32 | 517/621 (83%) | 0 | |
| New symptoms | 488/621 (79%) | 0 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Retention | 205/499 (41%) | 0 | .. | .. | 22/176 (13%) | 32 | .. | .. |
| Incontinence | 201/499 (40%) | 0 | .. | .. | 40/176 (23%) | 32 | .. | .. |
| Altered sensation | 109/499 (22%) | 0 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Poor stream | 187/499 (37%) | 0 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Urgency/Frequency | 47/499 (9%) | 0 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Catheterisation | .. | .. | 182/615 (30%) | 6 | 22/231 (10%) | 32 | 191/615 (31%) | 6 |
| New catheter | .. | .. | 181/615 (29%) | 6 | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Unable to feel catheter | .. | .. | 31/104 (30%) | 84 | 13/20 (65%) | 34 | .. | .. |
| Bowel symptoms | 143/621 (23%) | 0 | .. | .. | 139/230 (60%) | 33 | 243/621 (39%) | 0 |
| New symptoms | 133/621 (21%) | 0 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Incontinence | 57/143 (40%) | 0 | .. | .. | 25/139 (18%) | 33 | .. | .. |
| Altered bowel habit | 69/143 (48%) | 0 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Altered sensation | 22/143 (15%) | 0 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Sexual symptoms | 57/232 (25%) | 389 | .. | .. | 68/223 (30%) | 40 | 115/300 (38%) | 326 |
| New symptoms | 51/232 (22%) | 389 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Altered sensation | 23/57 (40%) | 389 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Difficulty achieving orgasm/erection | 36/57 (63%) | 389 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
Admission symptoms were reported by both clinicians and participants. Admission signs were recorded from examination findings by clinicians. Both were asked to record symptoms and signs at the time of admission. Pre-operative findings are positive where either the participant or the clinician has reported that finding at any time point prior to the operation. Bilateral occurrence is opposed to unilateral. Weakness was either myotomal or non-myotomal pattern. Sensory loss was either dermatomal, or non-dermatomal. For bladder symptoms, retention included painful or painless retention, a feeling of incomplete voiding, inability or difficulty voiding, or a loss of awareness of the need to void. Incontinence included all types of incontinence. Altered sensation included an altered sensation of voiding. Poor stream included difficulty initiating urination, dribbling, needing to push, and poor stream. For bowel symptoms, altered bowel habit included constipation or diarrhoea, or increased/decreased frequency of passing stool compared to usual. Altered sensation included the sensation of passing stool and of knowing whether to pass stool. For sexual symptoms, difficulty achieving orgasm or erection includes any physical difficulty with sexual intercourse. Altered sensation includes any change in sensation during sexual intercourse such as altered vaginal sensation, and altered sexual impulses. Participant reported back pain and sciatica is taken from the visual analogue scale (VAS) for back and leg pain, where zero is equivalent to no back or leg pain, and any score higher than zero denotes back or leg pain. Percentages are a proportion of available data. Missing data is excluded on a case wise basis. (KF: knee flexion, KE: knee extension, AD: ankle dorsiflexion, AP: ankle plantarflexion, KJ: knee jerk, AJ: ankle jerk, SLR: straight leg raise).