Spine

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

New scale useful for predicting sick leave for back pain

(HealthDay)—A new user-friendly 10-item rating scale is useful for predicting the duration of sick leave in patients with acute lumbar back pain, according to a study published in the April 20 issue of Spine.

Medications

Evidence lacking for long-term opioid use in low back pain

(HealthDay)—There is evidence of short-term efficacy (moderate for pain and small for function) of opioids for treatment of chronic low back pain (CLBP) compared with placebo; however, the effectiveness and safety of long-term ...

Surgery

Pre-op pregabalin best for pain in spinal surgery

(HealthDay)—Preoperative pregabalin is superior to either gabapentin or placebo for the relief of pain in patients undergoing lumbar discectomy, according to a study published in the March 15 issue of Spine.

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

Blood transfusions for spinal fusion holding steady

(HealthDay)—Among U.S. patients undergoing spinal fusion, the rates of allogeneic blood transfusion (ALBT) increased from 2000 to 2009, while predonated autologous blood transfusion (PR-ABT) rates decreased, according to ...

Surgery

More lumbar Sx complications at teaching hospitals

(HealthDay)—Patients undergoing lumbar spine surgery at teaching hospitals incur longer hospitalizations and have more postoperative complications compared to those treated at nonteaching hospitals, according to a study ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

Pre-op pain patterns affect stenosis surgery outcomes

(HealthDay)—For patients with spinal stenosis without degenerative spondylolisthesis, predominance of back pain (BP) versus leg pain (LP) is associated with worse surgical outcomes, according to a study published in the ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

Catastrophizing can predict low back pain, disability

(HealthDay)—For patients treated for low back pain, catastrophizing may predict the degree of pain and disability, according to a review published in the Feb. 1 issue of Spine.

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