Early Predictors of Surgery Following Back Injury

  
The Facts:

a. This is a “prospective population-based cohort study.”

b. Back injuries are the most common type of on the job injury.

c. Greater rates of back surgery were found in patients: with more severe injuries, higher Roland-Morris Disability scores and among those patients for whom a surgeon was the first provider they saw about the injury.

d. Less chance that the patient would have surgery was found in patients who: were younger than 35, were female or Hispanic, and for those patients for whom a chiropractor was the first provider that they saw about the injury.

e. If the patient first saw a chiropractor they had a 1.5% chance of having a surgery.

f. If the patient first saw a surgeon they had a 42.7% chance of surgery.

h. The authors had thought that Hispanic workers would probably have a lower surgery rate as that had been brought out in previous studies.

i. It should be noted that in Washington workers are allowed to select the provider they see for on the job injuries.

Interesting results of study:

Being younger, female, Hispanic and seeing a chiropractor first are all factors associated with lower surgery rates for those who are injured on the job.

 Reference: Keeney BJ, Fulton-Kehoe D, Turner JA, Wickizer TM, Chan KC, Franklin GM. Early predictors of lumbar spine surgery after occupational back injury: results from a prospective study of workers in Washington State. Spine 2013;38:953-64

 Source