SPORT spinal stenosis 8-year results show similar outcomes after surgical, nonsurgical care

SPORT results at 8 years post-treatment that were recently published showed some groups of patients with symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis who opted for conservative care tended to do as well at long-term follow-up as patients who underwent surgery.

Earlier results of the SPORT study for this indication suggested surgery offered more benefits for patients with symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis (SpS). However, Jon D. Lurie, MD, MS, at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, in Lebanon, N.H., and his colleagues recently updated those results and stated in a press release that some conservative care patients may see no differences in pain, function or disability at 8 years follow-up from patients who initially underwent surgery.

Lurie and his colleagues analyzed 654 patients with SpS from the Spine Patient Outcomes Research Trial (SPORT), of whom, 289 patients were randomly assigned to either surgical or nonsurgical treatment.

The results at 8 years follow-up showed surgery was performed in 70% of patients randomized to surgery, as well as in 52% of patients who were initially assigned to nonsurgical treatment, according to the press release.

The remaining 365 patients declined to be randomized in the trial and 60% of them opted for surgery. Of those patients who opted for conservative care, 27% eventually opted for surgery at a later date.

In the randomized group, through 4 years follow-up, surgery was found to offer better outcomes; however, at 8 years follow-up, outcomes were not significantly different between those who underwent either surgical or nonsurgical treatment, based on information in the release and study. – by Robert Linnehan

Reference:

Lurie JD. Spine. 2015; doi:10.1097/BRS.0000000000000731.