The Oswestry low back pain disability questionnaire. A two-year follow-up of spine surgery patients

Abstract

Background and Aims: So far there is no golden standard for the measurement of functional disability in spinal problems. The Oswestry index can be used to monitor the response to treatment and rehabilitation. It is based on a patient's subjective impression of his or her own state of disability. The purpose of this prospective study is to give a graphic presentation of the behaviour of the Oswestry index in different spine surgery groups. Material and Methods: The material includes 193 discectomy and decompressive operations. 37 of these patients had been operated earlier. The patients were observed for two years after the index operation through the mail with the Oswestry questionnaire. Results: Before an operation the average Oswestry index corresponded to severe disability on average. After successful treatment the Oswestry index dropped by 20-40 points on average. The more complex the problem the higher the postoperative lines remained. Conclusions: The results compared well with those of earlier studies. The graphs presented in this study may help the treating clinician to make conclusions on how his or her patients are doing on average after surgery.