BACKGROUND VARIABLES (MEDICAL HISTORY, ANTHROPOMETRIC AND BIOLOGICAL FACTORS) IN RELATION TO THE OUTCOME OF LUMBAR DISC SURGERY

In a prospective cohort study 122 patients with herniated intervertebr al lumbar disc and no previous low back surgery preoperatively were as sessed regarding medical history, anthropometric and biological backgr ound variables, The outcome of surgery (traditional methods) was evalu ated one year postoperatively, mainly using a composite Clinical Overa ll Score (COS), including pain intensity, physical signs, functional c apacity and analgesics. Return to work was also assessed, In regressio n analyses, low body height, high values of weight and body mass index , as well as long duration of sickness absence were shown to be signif icantly related to a poor outcome, as evaluated by the COS, However, a fter controlling for modifying effects of previously determined predic tive fibrinolytic and psychological variables, the background variable s lost their significance, Female sex, low stature, long duration of s ickness absence and physically strenuous work activities were statisti cally significantly related to lower frequencies of return to work.