Introduction Lumbar fusion is a commonly performed procedure for various spine conditions, including spondylolisthesis, degenerative disk disease, dynamic instability, or lumbar spondylosis. Despite numerous studies, significant debate remains regarding the most effective surgical technique for lumbar fusion. Specifically, use of…
Summary of Key Points Confounders in clinical investigation are systematic errors that cause a tendency toward erroneous results. The two major forms of bias in retrospective studies are selection bias and missing data. Case-control studies are used to identify factors…
Summary of Key Points The randomized controlled trial (RCT) is the gold standard in evidence-based medicine. Surgical RCTs can be affected by several types of bias, including informational bias, which occurs owing to a lack of blinding, and response bias,…
Summary of Key Points Randomized controlled trial evidence supports the use of surgical treatment of degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis. There are a variety of surgical approaches for treating these patients. Lumbar fusion is associated with more complications and greater cost when…
Summary of Key Points Axial low back pain is a common clinical problem with a significant healthcare impact. The pathophysiology and underlying etiology of axial low back pain remain poorly defined. The diagnosis of axial low back pain is largely…
Summary of Key Points Isthmic and degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis are common lumbar deformities associated with a significant impact on the health status of affected patients. Surgery for symptomatic lumbar spondylolisthesis is supported by clinical trial evidence. Published guidelines support a…