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Associations between the intensity of physical therapy (PT) treatments and health outcomes among individuals with back pain have been examined in the general population; however, few studies have explored these associations in injured workers. Our study objective was to examine whether intensity of PT treatments is positively associated with work and health outcomes in injured workers with back pain.We conducted a secondary analysis of prospective data collected from the Washington State Workers' Compensation (WC) Disability Risk Identification Study Cohort (D-RISC). D-RISC combined survey results with WC data from the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries. Workers with a State Fund WC claim for back injuries between June 2002 and April 2004 and who received PT services within the first year of injury were eligible. Intensity of PT treatment was measured as the type and amount of PT services within 28 days from the first PT visit. Outcome measures included work disability and self-reported measures for working for pay, pain intensity, and functional status at 1-year follow-up. We conducted linear and logistic regression models to test associations.We identified 662 eligible workers. In adjusted models, although the intensity of PT treatment was not significantly associated with work disability at 1-year follow-up, it was associated with lower odds of working for pay, decreased pain intensity, and improved functional status.Our findings suggest that there may be small benefits from receiving active PT, manual therapy, and frequent PT treatments within 28 days of initiating PT care.

Background Modifying physician behavior to more closely align with guideline-based care can be challenging. Few effective strategies resulting in appropriate spine-related health care have been reported. The Lumbar Imaging With Reporting of Epidemiology (LIRE) intervention did not result in reductions in spine care but did in opioid prescriptions written. Objectives To estimate organizational resource needs and costs associated with implementing a pragmatic, decision support-type intervention that inserted age- and modality-matched prevalence information for common lumbar spine imaging findings, using site-based resource use data from the LIRE trial. Research design Time and cost estimation associated with implementing the LIRE intervention in a health organization. Subjects Providers and patients assessed in the LIRE trial. Measures Expected personnel costs required to implement the LIRE intervention. Results Annual salaries were converted to daily average per person costs, ranging from $400 to $2,200 per day (base case) for personnel (range: $300-$2,600). Estimated total average cost for implementing LIRE was $5,009 (range: $2,651-$12,020), including conducting pilot testing with providers. Costs associated with a small amount of time for a radiologist (6-12 hours) and imaging-ordering providers (1-8 hours each) account for approximately 75% of the estimated total cost. Conclusions The process of implementing an intervention for lumbar spine imaging reports containing age- and modality-appropriate epidemiological benchmarks for common imaging findings required radiologists, imaging-ordering providers, information technology specialists, and limited testing and monitoring. The LIRE intervention seems to be a relatively low-cost, evidence-based, complementary tool that can be easily integrated into the reporting of spine imaging.

Physical and occupational therapy practices in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) were greatly impacted by the 2019 Medicare Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM). Under the PDPM, the practice of multiparticipant therapy-treating more than one patient per therapy provider per session-increased in SNFs, but it is unknown how substituting multiparticipant therapy for individualized therapy may impact patient outcomes. This cross-sectional study establishes baseline relationships between multiparticipant therapy and patient outcomes using pre-PDPM data.We used Minimum Data Set assessments from all short-term Medicare fee-for-service SNF stays in 2018. Using generalized mixed-effects logistic regression adjusted for therapy volume and patient factors, we examined associations between the proportion of minutes of physical and occupational therapy that were received as multiparticipant sessions during the SNF stay and 2 outcomes: community discharge and functional improvement. Multiparticipant therapy minutes as a proportion of total therapy time were categorized as none, low (below the median of 5%), medium (median to25%), and high (≥25%) to reflect the 25% multiparticipant therapy limit required by the PDPM.We included 901 544 patients with complete data for functional improvement and 912 996 for the discharge outcome. Compared with patients receiving no multiparticipant therapy, adjusted models found small positive associations between low and medium multiparticipant therapy levels and outcomes. Patients receiving low levels of multiparticipant therapy had 14% higher odds of improving in function (95% CI 1.09-1.19) and 10% higher odds of community discharge (95% CI 1.05-1.15). Patients receiving medium levels of multiparticipant therapy had 18% higher odds of functional improvement (95% CI 1.13-1.24) and 44% higher odds of community discharge (95% CI 1.34-1.55). However, associations disappeared with high levels of multiparticipant therapy.Prior to the PDPM, providing up to 25% multiparticipant therapy was an efficient strategy for SNFs that may have also benefitted patients. As positive associations disappeared with high levels (≥25%) of multiparticipant therapy, it may be best to continue delivering the majority of therapy in SNFs as individualized treatment.

Objective To evaluate the effect of inserting epidemiological information into lumbar spine imaging reports on subsequent nonsurgical and surgical procedures involving the thoracolumbosacral spine and sacroiliac joints. Design Analysis of secondary outcomes from the Lumbar Imaging with Reporting of Epidemiology (LIRE) pragmatic stepped-wedge randomized trial. Setting Primary care clinics within four integrated health care systems in the United States. Subjects 238,886 patients ≥18 years of age who received lumbar diagnostic imaging between 2013 and 2016. Methods Clinics were randomized to receive text containing age- and modality-specific epidemiological benchmarks indicating the prevalence of common spine imaging findings in people without low back pain, inserted into lumbar spine imaging reports (the “LIRE intervention”). The study outcomes were receiving 1) any nonsurgical lumbosacral or sacroiliac spine procedure (lumbosacral epidural steroid injection, facet joint injection, or facet joint radiofrequency ablation; or sacroiliac joint injection) or 2) any surgical procedure involving the lumbar, sacral, or thoracic spine (decompression surgery or spinal fusion or other spine surgery). Results The LIRE intervention was not significantly associated with subsequent utilization of nonsurgical lumbosacral or sacroiliac spine procedures (odds ratio [OR] = 1.01, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.93–1.09; P = 0.79) or any surgical procedure (OR = 0.99, 95 CI 0.91–1.07; P = 0.74) involving the lumbar, sacral, or thoracic spine. The intervention was also not significantly associated with any individual spine procedure. Conclusions Inserting epidemiological text into spine imaging reports had no effect on nonsurgical or surgical procedure utilization among patients receiving lumbar diagnostic imaging.

There is limited research on the long-term effectiveness of epidural steroid injections (ESI) in older adults despite the high prevalence of back and leg pain in this age group. We tested the hypotheses that older adults undergoing ESI, compared to patients not receiving ESI: (1) have worse pain, disability and quality of life ('outcomes') pre-ESI, (2) have improved outcomes after ESI and (3) have improved outcomes due to a specific ESI effect.We prospectively studied patients ≥65 years old presenting to primary care with new episodes of back pain in three US healthcare systems (BOLD registry). Outcomes were leg and back pain intensity, disability and quality of life, assessed at baseline and 3-, 6-, 12- and 24-month follow-ups. We categorized participants as: (1) ESI within 6 months from the index visit (n = 295); (2) no ESI within 6 months (n = 4809); (3) no ESI within 6 months, propensity-score matched to group 1 (n = 483). We analysed the data using linear regression and Generalized Estimating Equations.Pain intensity, disability and quality of life at baseline were significantly worse at baseline in ESI patients (group 1) than in group 2. The improvement from baseline to 24 months in all outcomes was statistically significant for group 1. However, no statistically significant differences were observed between outcome trajectories for the propensity-score matched groups 1 and 3.Older adults treated with ESI have long-term improvement. However, the improvement is unlikely the result of a specific ESI effect.In this large, two-year, prospective study in older adults with a new episode of low back pain, back pain, leg pain, disability and quality of life improved after epidural steroid injections; however, propensity-score matching revealed that the improvement was unlikely the result of a specific effect of the injections, indicating that epidural steroids are unlikely to provide long-term benefits in older adults with new episodes of back and leg pain.

Background The Functional Comorbidity Index (FCI) was developed for community-based adult populations, with function as the outcome. The original FCI was a survey tool, but several International Classification of Diseases (ICD) code lists-for calculating the FCI using administrative data-have been published. However, compatible International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) and ICD-10-CM versions have not been available. Objective We developed ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM diagnosis code lists to optimize FCI concordance across ICD lexicons. Research design We assessed concordance and frequency distributions across ICD lexicons for the FCI and individual comorbidities. We used length of stay and discharge disposition to assess continuity of FCI criterion validity across lexicons. Subjects State Inpatient Databases from Arizona, Colorado, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Utah, and Washington State (calendar year 2015) were obtained from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project. State Inpatient Databases contained ICD-9-CM diagnoses for the first 3 calendar quarters of 2015 and ICD-10-CM diagnoses for the fourth quarter of 2015. Inpatients under 18 years old were excluded. Measures Length of stay and discharge disposition outcomes were assessed in separate regression models. Covariates included age, sex, state, ICD lexicon, and FCI/lexicon interaction. Results The FCI demonstrated stability across lexicons, despite small discrepancies in prevalence for individual comorbidities. Under ICD-9-CM, each additional comorbidity was associated with an 8.9% increase in mean length of stay and an 18.5% decrease in the odds of a routine discharge, compared with an 8.4% increase and 17.4% decrease, respectively, under ICD-10-CM. Conclusion This study provides compatible ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM diagnosis code lists for the FCI.

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to identify and describe long-term trajectories of bothersome pain and activity-limiting pain in a population-based sample of older adults. MATERIALS AND METHODS We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 6783 community-dwelling participants using 6 years of longitudinal data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS). NHATS is a cohort of older adults that is representative of Medicare Beneficiaries aged 65 years and older. NHATS data collection began in 2011, and demographic and health data are collected annually through in-person interviews. Participants were asked if they had bothersome pain and activity-limiting pain in the past month. We used group-based trajectory modeling to identify longitudinal patterns of bothersome pain and activity-limiting pain over 6 years. We used weighted, multinomial logistic regression to examine associations with each trajectory. RESULTS The cohort was 57% female, 68% white, and 58% were 75 years and older. Four trajectories were identified for the probability of bothersome pain: persistently high (n=1901, 35%), increasing (n=898, 17%), decreasing (n=917, 17%), and low (n=1735, 32%). Similar trajectories were identified for activity-limiting pain: persistently high (n=721, 13%), increasing (n=812, 15%), decreasing (n=677, 12%), and low (n=3241, 60%). The persistently high bothersome and activity-limiting pain groups had worse health characteristics, were more likely to have fallen in the past year, and had slower gait speed and worse physical capacity compared with the low groups. DISCUSSION Approximately one half of older adults had a high or increasing probability of long-term bothersome pain, and over one quarter had a high or increasing probability of long-term activity-limiting pain.

BACKGROUND CONTEXT Prognostic models including early postoperative variables may provide optimal estimates of long-term outcomes and help direct postoperative care. PURPOSE To develop and validate prognostic models for 12-month disability, back pain, leg pain, and satisfaction among patients undergoing microdiscectomy, laminectomy, and laminectomy with fusion for degenerative lumbar conditions. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING Retrospective cohort study using the Quality Outcomes Database. PATIENT SAMPLE Patients receiving elective lumbar spine surgery due to degenerative spine conditions. OUTCOME MEASURES Oswestry Disability Index, pain numerical rating scale, and NASS Patient Satisfaction Index. METHODS Prognostic models were developed using proportional odds ordinal logistic regression using patient characteristics and baseline and 3-month patient-reported outcome scores. Models were fit for each outcome stratified by type of surgical procedure. Adjusted odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals were reported for all predictors by procedure. Models were internally validated using bootstrap resampling. Discrimination was reported as the c-index and calibration was presented using the calibration slope. We compared the performance of models with and without 3-month patient-reported variables. This research was supported by the Foundation for Physical Therapy's Center of Excellence in Physical Therapy Health Services, and Health Policy Research and Training grant. RESULTS The sample consisted of 5,840 patients receiving a microdiscectomy (n=2,085), laminectomy (n=1,837), or laminectomy with fusion (n=1,918). The 3-month Oswestry score was the strongest and most consistent predictor associated with 12-month outcomes. All prognostic models performed well with overfitting-corrected c-index values ranging from 0.718 to 0.795 and all optimism corrected calibration slopes over 0.92. The increase in c-index values ranged from 0.09 to 0.21 when adding 3-month patient-reported outcome scores. CONCLUSIONS Models had good discrimination and were well calibrated for estimating 12-month disability, back pain, leg pain, and satisfaction. Patient-reported outcomes at 3 months after surgery, especially 3-month Oswestry scores, improved the 12-month performance of all prognostic models beyond using only baseline variables.

Although the prognostic value of physical capacity is well-established, less is known about longitudinal patterns of physical capacity among community-dwelling older adults. We sought to describe long-term trajectories of physical capacity in a nationally representative sample of Medicare beneficiaries.Cohort study SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Annually collected data on 6,783 community-dwelling participants in the National Health and Aging Trends Study from 2011 to 2016 were analyzed.Performance-based physical capacity was measured using the Short Physical Performance Battery [(SPPB) range: 0-12, higher is better]. Self-reported physical capacity was measured using six pairs of activities with composite scores from 0 to 12 (higher is better). We then used group-based trajectory modeling to identify longitudinal patterns of each physical capacity measure over 6 years. Associations of baseline characteristics with trajectories were examined using multinomial logistic regression.The cohort was 57% female, 68% white, and 58% were ≥75 years. Six distinct trajectories of SPPB scores were identified. Two "high" groups (n = 2192, 43%) maintained high average SPPB scores. Two "moderate decline" groups (n = 1459, 29%) had a mid-range SPPB score at baseline and demonstrated gradual decline. A "low decline" group (n = 811, 16%) started with a low SPPB score and experienced a greater decline. A "very low" group (n = 590, 12%) had very low SPPB scores in all years. Six trajectories for self-reported physical capacity were also identified. Older age, worse health, lower income and education, and being Black or Hispanic were associated with lower and declining physical capacity.

Objective The purpose of this study was to describe physical therapists’ attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors regarding the use of diagnostic imaging. Methods Physical therapists in the United States were recruited from July 2018 through May 2019 to complete a web-based, cross-sectional survey. Participants were asked about demographics, their perceived knowledge base and skills for recommending or ordering different imaging modalities, and their behaviors regarding diagnostic imaging. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the participants’ demographics and responses to all questions. Chi-square tests were performed to compare responses by characteristics of survey participants and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests to compare levels of agreement. Results The mean age was 43 years, and of the 739 respondents, 58% (n = 417) were female. Ninety-two percent of respondents (n = 595) reported having recommended diagnostic imaging to another provider at least once. Only 11.6% (n = 75) reported having ever directly ordered diagnostic imaging. Participants’ attitudes about their knowledge base and skills for recommending or ordering plain radiographs were stronger compared with any other imaging modalities followed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) over other imaging techniques. Participants’ attitudes on recommending plain radiographs or MRI differed by professional education level, board-certification status, fellowship completion, and years since graduation. Conclusion It is common for physical therapists to recommend imaging, but few have directly ordered imaging. Most survey participants believed that they have an adequate knowledge base and skills for recommending and ordering plain radiographs and MRI. Impact These results can serve as a benchmark for future comparison as policies and educations evolve. Understanding physical therapists’ attitudes, knowledge, and use of diagnostic imaging is important to inform research, policy, and education.

Key Points Question What is the impact of including benchmark prevalence data of common findings in reports of spinal imaging ordered by primary care clinicians? Findings In this randomized clinical trial that included 250 401 adults, no overall decrease in subsequent spine-related health care utilization after the intervention was observed. However, there was a significant decrease in opioid prescriptions at 1 year in the intervention group compared with the control group. Meaning The findings of this study suggest that including epidemiological benchmarks on spinal imaging reports has little impact on subsequent spine-related utilization overall but may reduce subsequent opioid prescriptions., This randomized clinical trial evaluates the impact of including benchmark prevalence data in routine spinal imaging reports on subsequent spine-related health care utilization and opioid prescriptions., Importance Lumbar spine imaging frequently reveals findings that may seem alarming but are likely unrelated to pain. Prior work has suggested that inserting data on the prevalence of imaging findings among asymptomatic individuals into spine imaging reports may reduce unnecessary subsequent interventions. Objective To evaluate the impact of including benchmark prevalence data in routine spinal imaging reports on subsequent spine-related health care utilization and opioid prescriptions. Design, Setting, and Participants This stepped-wedge, pragmatic randomized clinical trial included 250 401 adult participants receiving care from 98 primary care clinics at 4 large health systems in the United States. Participants had imaging of their backs between October 2013 and September 2016 without having had spine imaging in the prior year. Data analysis was conducted from November 2018 to October 2019. Interventions Either standard lumbar spine imaging reports (control group) or reports containing age-appropriate prevalence data for common imaging findings in individuals without back pain (intervention group). Main Outcomes and Measures Health care utilization was measured in spine-related relative value units (RVUs) within 365 days of index imaging. The number of subsequent opioid prescriptions written by a primary care clinician was a secondary outcome, and prespecified subgroup analyses examined results by imaging modality. Results We enrolled 250 401 participants (of whom 238 886 [95.4%] met eligibility for this analysis, with 137 373 [57.5%] women and 105 497 [44.2%] aged >60 years) from 3278 primary care clinicians. A total of 117 455 patients (49.2%) were randomized to the control group, and 121 431 patients (50.8%) were randomized to the intervention group. There was no significant difference in cumulative spine-related RVUs comparing intervention and control conditions through 365 days. The adjusted median (interquartile range) RVU for the control group was 3.56 (2.71-5.12) compared with 3.53 (2.68-5.08) for the intervention group (difference, −0.7%; 95% CI, −2.9% to 1.5%; P = .54). Rates of subsequent RVUs did not differ between groups by specific clinical findings in the report but did differ by type of index imaging (eg, computed tomography: difference, −29.3%; 95% CI, −42.1% to −13.5%; magnetic resonance imaging: difference, −3.4%; 95% CI, −8.3% to 1.8%). We observed a small but significant decrease in the likelihood of opioid prescribing from a study clinician within 1 year of the intervention (odds ratio, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.91 to 1.00; P = .04). Conclusions and Relevance In this study, inserting benchmark prevalence information in lumbar spine imaging reports did not decrease subsequent spine-related RVUs but did reduce subsequent opioid prescriptions. The intervention text is simple, inexpensive, and easily implemented. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02015455

Introduction The Subgrouping for Targeted Treatment (STarT Back) is a stratified care approach to LBP treatment. The predictive validity of STarT Back in Veterans Affairs (VA) primary care has not been demonstrated. Objective To examine the validity of the STarT Back tool for predicting future persistent disabling LBP in VA primary care. Design Cohort study. Setting VA primary care in Washington State. Participants Veterans seeking care for LBP in VA primary care clinics. Interventions Not applicable. Main outcome measures The STarT Back tool was used to classify Veterans according to their baseline risk group (low vs medium vs high). The primary study outcome, persistent disabling LBP, was defined as a Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ) score ≥ 7 at 6-month follow-up. Analyses examined discrimination and calibration of the baseline STarT Back risk groups for prediction of persistent disabling LBP at 6-month follow-up. Results Of the study sample, 9% were females and 80% reported longstanding LBP (>5 year duration). Among 538 participants, the baseline STarT Back risk groups were associated with future persistent disabling LBP at 6-month follow-up. Within each baseline STarT Back risk group, the proportions with future persistent disabling LBP at 6-month follow-up were 54% (low risk), 88% (medium risk), and 97% (high risk). The baseline STarT Back risk groups had useful discrimination (area under the curve [AUC] 0.79) for predicting future persistent disabling LBP, but the proportion of Veterans persistent disabling LBP at 6-month follow-up was substantially higher than that observed in non-VA primary care settings. Conclusions The STarT Back risk groups had useful discrimination (AUC = 0.79) for future persistent disabling LBP, but calibration was poor, underestimating the risk of persistent disabling LBP. The STarT Back tool may require updating for use in VA primary care. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

To determine how well the functional comorbidity index (FCI) predicts outcomes in older adults with back pain compared to Quan's modification of the Charlson comorbidity index (Quan-Charlson comorbidity index) and the Elixhauser comorbidity index.Secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study.We included 5155 adults 65 years of age or older with new primary care visits for back pain. Comorbidity was measured using diagnosis codes 12 months prior to the new visit. Outcomes of functional limitation (Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire), health-related quality of life (European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions [EQ-5D]), and total health care use (sum of relative value units) were measured 12 months after the new visit. We compared multivariable models containing preselected prognostic factors.Spearman correlation coefficients among the indices were 0.70 or greater. Multivariable models for the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire had similarAll indices performed similarly in predicting outcomes. There does not seem to be an advantage to using one index over another for older adults with back pain. There is still a need to develop better function-based risk-adjustment models that improve prediction of functional outcomes versus standard comorbidity indices.

Background Context Although back pain is common among older adults, there is relatively little research on the course of back pain in this age group. Purpose Our primary goals were to report 2-year outcomes of older adults initiating primary care for back pain and to examine the relative importance of patient factors versus medical interventions in predicting 2-year disability and pain. Study Design/Setting This study used a predictive model using data from a prospective, observational cohort from a primary care setting. Patient Sample The study included patients aged ≥65 years at the time of new primary care visits for back pain. Outcome Measures Self-reported 2-year disability (Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire [RDQ]) and back pain (0–10 numerical rating scale [NRS]). Methods We developed our models using a machine learning least absolute shrinkage and selection operator approach. We evaluated the predictive value of baseline characteristics and the incremental value of interventions that occurred between 0 and 90 days, and the change in patient disability and pain from 0 to 90 days. Limitations included confounding by indication and unmeasured confounding. Results Of 4,665 patients (89%) with follow-up, both RDQ (from mean 9.6 [95% confidence interval {CI} 9.4–9.7] to mean 8.3 [95% CI 8.0–8.5]) and back pain NRS (from mean 5.0 [95% CI 4.9–5.1] to mean 3.5 [95% CI 3.4–3.6]) scores improved slightly. Only 16% (15%-18%) reported no back pain-related disability or back pain at 2 years after initial visits. Regression model parameters explained 40% of the variation (R2) in 2-year RDQ scores, and the addition of 0- to 3-month change in RDQ score and pain improved prediction (R2=51%). The most consistent predictors of 2-year RDQ scores and back pain NRS scores were 0- to 90-day change in each respective outcome and patient confidence in improvement. Patients experienced 50% and 43% improvement in back pain and disability, respectively, 2 years after their initial visit. However, fewer than 20% of patients had complete resolution of their back pain and disability at that time. Conclusions Baseline patient factors were more important than early interventions in explaining disability and pain after 2 years.

The purpose of this paper is to review the evidence for radiofrequency ablation (RFA) as a treatment modality for facet-mediated low back pain. This review also evaluates gaps in evidence for RFA including optimal eligibility criteria and technique and safety concerns. There is a lack of high quality evidence supporting RFA for facet-mediated low back pain. Six randomized control studies and multiple observational studies have been carried out, with mixed results for the efficacy of RFA for pain relief. There is a high rate of variability in the eligibility criteria and technique used for RFA and little evidence to support the appropriate inclusion and procedure. There remain safety questions about RFA, especially with regard to long-term effects of denervating the multifidus muscle. Radiofrequency ablation is an interventional technique performed with the goal of reducing facet-mediated low back pain, but evidence to support it as an effective treatment modality is lacking.

Bothersome and multisite pain are common and strongly associated with low physical functioning in older adults. Although these associations are well established in cross-sectional studies, few population-based studies have examined the impact of pain on physical functioning over time. Accordingly, we sought to determine the associations of pain characteristics with longitudinal trajectories of performance-based measures of physical capacity in older adults. Data on 6,783 community-dwelling adults aged ≥65 years who participated in the 2011-2017 National Health and Aging Trends Study were analyzed. Physical capacity was measured annually using the Short Physical Performance Battery. Group-based trajectory modeling was used to identify groups with similar longitudinal patterns of physical capacity. Baseline pain characteristics included report of bothersome pain in the past month, activity-limiting pain, location of pain, and pain medication use. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine associations of pain characteristics with trajectories of physical capacity, adjusting for demographic and health characteristics. The cohort was 57% female, 68% white, and 58% were ≥75 years. Four distinct physical capacity trajectories were identified: “persistently low” (12% of cohort), “low, declining” (16%), “moderate, declining” (29%), and “persistently high” (43%). Participants who reported bothersome pain, activity-limiting pain, greater number of pain sites, and more frequent pain medication use at baseline were significantly more likely to demonstrate either “persistently low” or a declining physical capacity trajectory. For example, compared to those not reporting bothersome pain participants who reported bothersome pain were 79% (adjusted relative risk [RR]=1.79 [95%CI:1.26-2.55]), 75% (RR=1.75 [95%CI:1.42-2.16]), and 24% (RR=1.24 [95%CI:1.01-1.51]) more likely to have a “persistently low”, “low declining”, and “moderate declining” physical capacity trajectory, respectively. Among older adults in the US, bothersome pain and other pain characteristics were significantly associated with poor and worsening trajectories of physical capacity over a 6-year period. National Institute on Aging/NIH U01AG032947 and Scan Design Foundation.

Secondary analysis of prospective cohort study.Common comorbidity indices were developed to predict mortality and may not be optimal for functional outcomes.Determine how well the Functional Comorbidity Index (FCI) predicts outcomes in older adults with back pain versus the Quan/Charlson and Elixhauser comorbidity indices.We included 5155 adults ≥65 years with new primary care visits for back pain. Comorbidity was measured using diagnosis codes 12 months prior to the new visit. Outcomes of functional limitation (Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire [RMDQ]), health-related quality-of-life (EQ5D), and total health care use (sum of Relative Value Units [RVUs]) were measured 12 months the new visit. We compared multivariable models containing preselected prognostic factors.Spearman's Correlation Coefficients among the indices were ≥0.70. Multivariable models for RMDQ had similar R2 and mean squared error (MSE) of prediction when using the FCI (RAll indices performed similarly in predicting outcomes. There does not seem to be an advantage to using one index over another for older adults with back pain. There is still a need to develop better function-based risk adjustment models that improve prediction of functional outcomes versus standard comorbidity indices.Level 2 Prognostic Evidence.

Background The Functional Comorbidity Index (FCI) is a comorbidity measure associated with physical function and may contribute to risk adjustment models in rehabilitation settings, but an International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) of the FCI has not been tested in outpatient settings. Objective This study examines the ability of an ICD-9-CM- based FCI to predict function, health-related quality of life, and overall health care use. Design Cohort study. Setting and participants This was a secondary analysis of 5155 adults ≥65 years of age with a new back pain visit from the Back pain Outcomes using Longitudinal Data cohort study. Independent variables We measured 18 comorbidities with an ICD-9-CM version of the FCI using diagnosis codes 12 months prior to an index visit. Main outcome measurements Outcomes included the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ, 0-24), health-related-quality-of-life (EQ5D, 0-1), and total health care use (sum of all relative value units [RVUs]) measured at baseline and 12 months after the index visit. Linear regression and generalized linear models estimated the association between the FCI and each outcome and to examine goodness of fit. We used a 10-fold cross-validation to develop and compare predictive models with and without the FCI. Results There were 1398 participants (27%) with two or more comorbidities. Adjusted estimates show that for every one unit increase in FCI, RMDQ increased by 1.0 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.8 to 1.1) and R2 = 0.093; EQ5D decreased by 0.023 (95% CI -0.028 to -0.019) and R2 = 0.076; and mean total RVUs increased by 13% (95% CI 1.09 to 1.17). Cross-validation showed that FCI contributed to small improvements in the performance of predictive models. Conclusion An ICD-9-CM version of the FCI is associated with long-term function, health-related quality of life, and total health care use among older adults with back pain; however, it explains only a small proportion of the variance.

ObjectiveTo estimate the prevalence of co-occurring pain sites among older adults with persistent back pain and associations of multisite pain with longitudinal outcomes.DesignSecondary analysis of a cohort study.SettingThree integrated health systems in the United States.SubjectsEight hundred ninety-nine older adults with persistent back pain.MethodsParticipants reported pain in the following sites: stomach, arms/legs/joints, headaches, neck, pelvis/groin, and widespread pain. Over 18 months, we measured back-related disability (Roland Morris, scored 0–24), pain intensity (11-point numerical rating scale), health-related quality of life (EuroQol-5D [EQ-5D], utility from 0–1), and falls in the past three weeks. We used mixed-effects models to test the association of number and type of pain sites with each outcome.ResultsNearly all (N = 839, 93%) respondents reported at least one additional pain site. There were 216 (24%) with one additional site and 623 (69%) with multiple additional sites. The most prevalent comorbid pain site was the arms/legs/joints (N = 801, 89.1%). Adjusted mixed-effects models showed that for every additional pain site, RMDQ worsened by 0.65 points (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.43 to 0.86), back pain intensity increased by 0.14 points (95% CI = 0.07 to 0.22), EQ-5D worsened by 0.012 points (95% CI = –0.018 to –0.006), and the odds of falling increased by 27% (odds ratio = 1.27, 95% CI = 1.12 to 1.43). Some specific pain sites (extremity pain, widespread pain, and pelvis/groin pain) were associated with greater long-term disability.ConclusionsMultisite pain is common among older adults with persistent back pain. Number of pain sites was associated with all outcomes; individual pain sites were less consistently associated with outcomes.

Background Minimal longitudinal data exist regarding the role of lumbar musculature in predicting back pain and function. In cross-sectional study designs, there is often atrophy of the segmental multifidus muscle in subjects with low back pain compared with matched controls. However, the cross-sectional design of these studies prevents drawing conclusions regarding whether lumbar muscle characteristics predict or modify future back pain or function. Objective The primary objective of this study is to determine whether the cross-sectional area (CSA) of lumbar muscles predict functional status or back pain at 6- or 12-month follow-up in older adults with spinal degeneration. The secondary objective is to evaluate whether these muscle characteristics improve outcome prediction above and beyond the prognostic information conferred by demographic and psychosocial variables. Design Secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial. Participants A total of 209 adults aged 50 years and older with clinical and radiographic spinal stenosis from the Lumbar Epidural steroid injection for Spinal Stenosis (LESS) trial. Methods Using baseline magnetic resonance images, we calculated CSAs of the lumbar multifidus, psoas, and quadratus lumborum muscles using a standardized protocol by manually tracing the borders of each of the muscles. The relationship between lumbar muscle CSAs and baseline measures was assessed with Pearson or Spearman correlation coefficients. The relationship between lumbar muscle characteristics and 6- and 12-month Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire (RDQ) and back pain Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) responses was further evaluated with multivariate linear regression. A hierarchical approach to the regression was performed: a basic model with factors of conceptual importance including age, gender, BMI, and baseline RDQ score formed the first step. The second and third steps evaluated whether psychosocial variables or muscle measures conferred additional prognostic information to the basic model. Main Outcome Measures Function as measured by the RDQ and back pain as measured by the NRS at 6- and 12-month follow-up. Results Lumbar muscle CSA was not a significant predictor of 6- or 12-month RDQ or pain score in multivariate analyses. Conclusions Cross-sectional areas of lumbar muscles do not predict function or pain at medium- and long-term follow-up in adults with lumbar spinal stenosis. Level of Evidence III

Objective . To present the sixth in a series of articles designed to deconstruct chronic low back pain (CLBP) in older adults. This article focuses on the evaluation and management of lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS), the most common condition for which older adults undergo spinal surgery. Methods . The evaluation and treatment algorithm, a table articulating the rationale for the individual algorithm components, and stepped-care drug recommendations were developed using a modified Delphi approach. The Principal Investigator, a five-member content expert panel and a nine-member primary care panel were involved in the iterative development of these materials. The illustrative clinical case was taken from the clinical practice of a contributor’s colleague (SR). Results . We present an algorithm and supportive materials to help guide the care of older adults with LSS, a condition that occurs not uncommonly in those with CLBP. The case illustrates the importance of function-focused management and a rational approach to conservative care. Conclusions . Lumbar spinal stenosis exists not uncommonly in older adults with CLBP and management often can be accomplished without surgery. Treatment should address all conditions in addition to LSS contributing to pain and disability.

The concept of value is receiving greater attention in rehabilitation and the broader health care environment. The overall purpose of this article is to present a framework to help clinicians, researchers, educators, and policy makers better understand the role of health services research in developing and evaluating evidence on value in rehabilitation. Value in health care is a multidimensional concept and may be defined differently by various stakeholders, but assessing value typically involves considering a combination of several health and economic outcomes. However, health care stakeholders often lack sufficient information on these outcomes to make well-informed decisions. Health services approaches such as comparative effectiveness research, patient-centered outcomes research, and health economics assessments are some ways to evaluate value. The evidence generated from such studies directly informs decision making and health policy. Rehabilitation professionals have a great opportunity to increase their engagement in describing, evaluating, delivering, and disseminating high-value care, but there are several barriers they need to consider to be most successful. Embracing health services research best practices is essential for advancing appropriate rehabilitation practice, research, and policy and for addressing challenges to implementing high-value care.

Objectives The objective of this study was to compare outcomes and health care utilization of older patients who did versus did not fill opioid prescriptions within 90 days of initiating care for low back pain. Materials and methods For patients ≥65 years with new back pain visits, we used propensity scores to match those who filled no opioid prescriptions to those who filled ≥2 opioid prescriptions within 90 days (and the first opioid prescription within 30 d) of the index visit. Over 24 months, we examined patient-reported outcomes, health care utilization, and subsequent opioid prescription fills. Results Among 1954 patients eligible for matching, 238 (12%) filled ≥2 opioid prescriptions within 90 days; 200 of these were matched to controls. Patients with versus without early opioid prescriptions had similar patient-reported outcomes but were more likely to have filled ≥1 opioid prescription 18 to 24 months after the index visit (odds ratio [95% confidence interval]=2.4 [1.5-3.9]) and to have had ≥1 visit to the emergency department in the subsequent 24 months (OR, 1.6; 95% confidence interval, 1.0-2.5). Discussion Among older patients with new back pain visits, filling ≥2 opioid prescriptions within 90 days of the visit was associated with similar back pain-related outcomes but increased likelihood of filling opioid prescriptions 18 to 24 months later compared with matched patients who did not fill early opioid prescriptions.

Rationale and Objectives To evaluate a natural language processing (NLP) system built with open-source tools for identification of lumbar spine imaging findings related to low back pain on magnetic resonance and x-ray radiology reports from four health systems. Materials and Methods We used a limited data set (de-identified except for dates) sampled from lumbar spine imaging reports of a prospectively assembled cohort of adults. From N = 178,333 reports, we randomly selected N = 871 to form a reference-standard dataset, consisting of N = 413 x-ray reports and N = 458 MR reports. Using standardized criteria, four spine experts annotated the presence of 26 findings, where 71 reports were annotated by all four experts and 800 were each annotated by two experts. We calculated inter-rater agreement and finding prevalence from annotated data. We randomly split the annotated data into development (80%) and testing (20%) sets. We developed an NLP system from both rule-based and machine-learned models. We validated the system using accuracy metrics such as sensitivity, specificity, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Results The multirater annotated dataset achieved inter-rater agreement of Cohen's kappa > 0.60 (substantial agreement) for 25 of 26 findings, with finding prevalence ranging from 3% to 89%. In the testing sample, rule-based and machine-learned predictions both had comparable average specificity (0.97 and 0.95, respectively). The machine-learned approach had a higher average sensitivity (0.94, compared to 0.83 for rules-based), and a higher overall AUC (0.98, compared to 0.90 for rules-based). Conclusions Our NLP system performed well in identifying the 26 lumbar spine findings, as benchmarked by reference-standard annotation by medical experts. Machine-learned models provided substantial gains in model sensitivity with slight loss of specificity, and overall higher AUC.

Diagnostic imaging is often the first step in evaluating patients with back pain and likely functions as a "gateway" to a subsequent cascade of interventions. However, lumbar spine imaging frequently reveals incidental findings among normal, pain-free individuals suggesting that treatment of these "abnormalities" may not be warranted. Our prior work suggested that inserting the prevalence of imaging findings in patients without back pain into spine imaging reports may reduce subsequent interventions. We are now conducting a pragmatic cluster randomized clinical trial to test the hypothesis that inserting this prevalence data into lumbar spine imaging reports for studies ordered by primary care providers will reduce subsequent spine-related interventions.We are using a stepped wedge design that sequentially randomizes 100 primary care clinics at four health systems to receive either standard lumbar spine imaging reports, or reports containing prevalence data for common imaging findings in patients without back pain. We capture all outcomes passively through the electronic medical record. Our primary outcome is spine-related intervention intensity based on Relative Value Units (RVUs) during the following year. Secondary outcomes include subsequent prescriptions for opioid analgesics and cross-sectional lumbar spine re-imaging.If our study shows that adding prevalence data to spine imaging reports decreases subsequent back-related RVUs, this intervention could be easily generalized and applied to other kinds of testing, as well as other conditions where incidental findings may be common. Our study also serves as a model for cluster randomized trials that are minimal risk and highly pragmatic.

Objectives To report the clinical course of older adults presenting for a new primary care visit for back pain, no healthcare visit for back pain within the prior 6 months, by describing pain intensity, disability, pain interference, and resolution of back pain over 12 months. Design Prospective inception cohort study. Setting Primary care settings of three integrated healthcare systems in the United States that participated in the Back pain Outcomes using Longitudinal Data (BOLD) registry. Participants Five thousand two hundred eleven (99.5%) of the 5,239 adults aged 65 and older who had reached their 12-month follow-up date. Measurements Baseline demographic characteristics, EQ-5D score, duration of back pain, expectation for recovery, depression, and anxiety. Participant-reported outcomes of back-related disability (Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire), numerical pain rating scale, pain interference, and resolution of back pain were collected at baseline and 3, 6, and 12 months. Results Most improvement occurred within the first 3 months. The number and proportion with 30% improvement in back pain increased from 1,950 (42.3%) at 3 months to 1,994 (44.8%) by 12 months, and 1,331 (28.8%) and 1,576 (35.4%) had 30% improvement in disability at 3 and 12 months. Only 23.0% reported that their back pain had resolved at 12 months. Improvements in disability and interference with activity over 12 months differed according to age, duration of back pain, symptoms of depression and anxiety, and expectation for recovery. Conclusion The majority of older adults in primary care practice settings presenting with a new visit for back pain have persistent symptoms, disability, and interference over 12 months of follow-up. Future research is needed to identify risk factors for persistent symptoms and effective interventions.

Background Among older adults, it is not clear how different types or amounts of physical therapy may be associated with improvements in back pain and function. Objective The study objective was to investigate the association between types or amounts of physical therapist services and 1-year outcomes among older adults with back pain. Design This was a prospective cohort study. Methods A total of 3,771 older adults who were enrolled in a cohort study and who had a new primary care visit for back pain participated. Physical therapy use was ascertained from electronic health records. The following patient-reported outcomes were collected over 12 months: back-related disability (Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire) and back and leg pain intensity (11-point numerical rating scale). Marginal structural models were used to estimate average effects of different amounts of physical therapy use on disability and pain for all types of physical therapy and for active, passive, and manual physical therapy. Results A total of 1,285 participants (34.1%) received some physical therapy. There was no statistically significant gradient in relationships between physical therapy use and back-related disability score. The use of passive or manual therapy was not consistently associated with pain outcomes. Higher amounts of active physical therapy were associated with decreased back and leg pain and increased odds of clinically meaningful improvements in back and leg pain relative to results obtained with no active physical therapy. Limitations The fact that few participants had high amounts of physical therapy use limited precision and the ability to test for nonlinear relationships for the amount of use. Conclusions Higher amounts of active physical therapy were most consistently related to the greatest improvements in pain intensity; however, as with all observational studies, the results must be interpreted with caution.

Electronic medical record (EMR) systems provide easy access to radiology reports and offer great potential to support quality improvement efforts and clinical research. Harnessing the full potential of the EMR requires scalable approaches such as natural language processing (NLP) to convert text into variables used for evaluation or analysis. Our goal was to determine the feasibility of using NLP to identify patients with Type 1 Modic endplate changes using clinical reports of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging examinations of the spine. Identifying patients with Type 1 Modic change who may be eligible for clinical trials is important as these findings may be important targets for intervention. Four annotators identified all reports that contained Type 1 Modic change, using N = 458 randomly selected lumbar spine MR reports. We then implemented a rule-based NLP algorithm in Java using regular expressions. The prevalence of Type 1 Modic change in the annotated dataset was 10%. Results were recall (sensitivity) 35/50 = 0.70 (95% confidence interval (C.I.) 0.52–0.82), specificity 404/408 = 0.99 (0.97–1.0), precision (positive predictive value) 35/39 = 0.90 (0.75–0.97), negative predictive value 404/419 = 0.96 (0.94–0.98), and F1-score 0.79 (0.43–1.0). Our evaluation shows the efficacy of rule-based NLP approach for identifying patients with Type 1 Modic change if the emphasis is on identifying only relevant cases with low concern regarding false negatives. As expected, our results show that specificity is higher than recall. This is due to the inherent difficulty of eliciting all possible keywords given the enormous variability of lumbar spine reporting, which decreases recall, while availability of good negation algorithms improves specificity.

BACKGROUND: Adventure sports events consist of a combination of two or more endurance disciplines, such as orienteering, running, and rock climbing, that range from a day's to a week's duration. No studies have examined acute kidney injury (AKI) in adventure sports athletes. OBJECTIVES: To describe the prevalence of AKI in participants in the Endeavor Team Challenge, a 30-hour, 40-mile adventure race. METHODS: In this prospective observational study, body weights were recorded at race registration. At the finish line, blood sample results by point-of-care testing and weights were recorded. Changes in serum creatinine (Cr) from an estimated baseline value and severity of AKI were calculated, with "risk of injury" defined as 1.5 x baseline Cr, and "injury" defined as 2 x baseline Cr. These two categories of AKI were combined to calculate the total prevalence. Results: There were 88 enrolled study participants with complete data available on 46 (52%). The mean age of those enrolled in the study was 36.8 years (+/- 7.7), 90% were males, and body mass index (BMI) was 25.7 kg/m(2) (+/- 2.4). Of the competitors who completed the study, 34 (73%) had some degree of AKI, with 27 (58%) found to be at "risk" and seven (15%) with "injury". There was a significant correlation between weight loss and elevated Cr (r = -0.29, p = 0.047), with a trend towards nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use being correlated with AKI (p = 0.058). CONCLUSION: Acute kidney injury was observed in the majority of the Endeavor Team Challenge adventure racers, similar to what has been observed in multistage ultramarathons, and greater than after standard marathons and single-stage ultramarathons. Language: en

Rationale More efficient and better informed healthcare systems are expected to have improved knowledge of the impact of interventions on patient outcomes and resources used by patients and providers in specific health conditions. Objectives To describe trends related to putting patients at the center of healthcare decision making, regulatory trends and best practice recommendations for developing high-quality patient-reported outcomes (PROs), and strategic issues related to including PROs in studies. Materials and Methods We summarize PRO concepts, definitions, and broadly-accepted scientific standards for developing, assessing, and interpreting PROs. Three conceptual models are presented as examples for assessing PROs in relation to other outcomes. We discuss different perspectives for stakeholders, including regulatory issues pertaining to formal guidance for PRO development and for use in trials. We provide examples of PROs used in studies for assessing health outcomes in oncology and resource-use outcomes in low back pain patients. Results Psychometric scientists working closely with multi-disciplinary teams and regulatory authorities have greatly improved the science of collecting, assessing, and understanding patient-reported outcomes in clinical trials. A simplified framework is presented for strategic considerations for including PROs in studies, such as the appropriate timing for PRO endpoints. Asking patients about their health status and/or use of resources improves our understanding of how interventions and care processes may impact their lives and their budgets. We provide examples from a back pain trial of patient-reported resource-use questionnaires for medicines taken and other services or products used by patients. Conclusions Healthcare stakeholders are placing increased emphasis on resource use and the impact of interventions on patients, including effects associated with diagnostic tests. Patient-reported outcomes are being used in clinical practice and in clinical research, supported by formal best-practice guidelines. Radiology has a role as an engaged stakeholder in the design, conduct, and interpretation of patient-based evidence, and in its relevance to health policy implementation.

Background: Hydration status is a controversial determinant of athletic performance. This relationship has not been examined with mountaineering performance. Methods: This was a prospective observational study of mountaineers who attempted to climb Denali in Alaska. Participants’ urine specific gravity (SG), and ultrasound measurements of the inferior vena cava size and collapsibility index (IVC-CI) were measured at rest prior to ascent. Upon descent, climbers reported maximum elevation gained for determination of summit success. Results: One hundred twenty-one participants enrolled in the study. Data were collected on 111 participants (92% response rate); of those, 105 (87%) had complete hydration data. Fifty-seven percent of study participants were found to be dehydrated by IVC-CI on ultrasound, and 55% by urine SG. No significant association was found with summit success and quantitative measurements of hydration: IVC-CI (50.4% +/- 15.6 vs. 52.9% +/- 15.4, p = 0.91), IVC size (0.96 cm +/- 0.3 vs. 0.99 cm +/- 0.3, p = 0.81), and average SG (1.02 +/- 0.008 vs. 1.02 +/- 0.008, p = 0.87). Categorical measurements of urine SG found 24% more successful summiters were hydrated at 14 Camp, but this was not found to be statistically significant (p = 0.56). Summit success was associated with greater water-carrying capacity on univariate analysis only: 2.3 L, 95% confidence interval (2.1 – 2.5) vs. 2.1 L, 95% confidence interval (2 – 2.2); p < 0.01. Conclusions: Intravascular dehydration was found in approximately half of technical high-altitude mountaineers. Hydration status was not significantly associated with summit success, but increased water-carrying capacity may be an easy and inexpensive educational intervention to improve performance.

Little is known about longitudinal patterns of pain prevalence with aging. Identifying such patterns could allow for more targeted intervention. Our objective was to identify and describe long-term trajectories of bothersome pain and activity-limiting pain in a population-based sample of older adults. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 6,783 community-dwelling participants using six years of longitudinal data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS). NHATS is a cohort of older adults and is representative of Medicare Beneficiaries aged 65 years and older. NHATS data collection began in 2011, and demographic and health data are collected annually through in-person interviews. Outcomes were binary variables for bothersome pain in the past month and activity-limiting pain in the past month. We used group-based trajectory models to identify longitudinal patterns of bothersome pain and activity-limiting pain. We used weighted, multinomial logistic regression to describe associations with each group. The cohort was 57% female, 68% white, and 58% were ≥75 years. We identified four distinct trajectories for the probability of having bothersome pain over 6 years: consistently high (n=1901, 35%), increasing (n=898, 17%), decreasing (n=917, 17%), and consistently low (n=1735, 32%). Similar trajectories were identified for the probability of activity-limiting pain: consistently high (n=721, 13%), increasing (n=812, 15%), decreasing (n=677, 12%), and consistently low (n=3241, 60%). Number of comorbid health conditions was strongly associated with belonging to the consistently high versus low group for both bothersome pain [relative risk (RR)=1.78 increase for every additional condition; 95% CI: 1.67, 1.90)] and activity-limiting pain (RR=1.85 increase for every additional condition; 95% CI: 1.74, 1.98). Trajectories of bothersome pain and activity-limiting pain were highly variable. Approximately half of Medicare Beneficiaries have either high or increasing probability of long-term bothersome pain, and over a quarter have a high or increasing probability of activity-limiting pain long-term.

Objective To systematically appraise published comparative effectiveness evidence (clinical and economic) of epidural steroid injections (ESI) for lumbar spinal stenosis and to estimate Medicare reimbursement amounts for ESI procedures. Type Systematic review. Literature Survey PubMed, Embase, and CINAHL were searched through August 2012 for key words that pertain to low back pain, spinal stenosis or sciatica, and epidural steroid injection. We used institutional and Medicare reimbursement amounts for our cost estimation. Articles published in English that assessed ESIs for adults with lumbar spinal stenosis versus a comparison intervention were included. Our search identified 146 unique articles, and 138 were excluded due to noncomparative study design, not having a study population with lumbar spinal stenosis, not having an appropriate outcome, or not being in English. We fully summarized 6 randomized controlled trials and 2 large observational studies. Methodology Randomized controlled trial articles were reviewed, and the study population, sample size, treatment groups, ESI dosage, ESI approaches, concomitant interventions, outcomes, and follow-up time were reported. Descriptive resource use estimates for ESIs were calculated with use of data from our institution during 2010 and Medicare-based reimbursement amounts. Synthesis ESIs or anesthetic injections alone resulted in better short-term improvement in walking distance compared with control injections. However, there were no longer-term differences. No differences between ESIs versus anesthetic in self-reported improvement in pain were reported. Transforaminal approaches had better improvement in pain scores (≤4 months) compared with interlaminar injections. Two observational studies indicated increased rates of lumbar ESI in Medicare beneficiaries. Our sample included 279 patients who received at least 1 ESI during 2010, with an estimated mean total outpatient reimbursement for one ESI procedure "event" to be $637, based on 2010 Medicare reimbursement amounts ($505 technical and $132 professional payments). Conclusion This systematic review of ESI for treating lumbar spinal stenosis found a limited amount of data that suggest that ESI is effective in some patients for improving select short-term outcomes, but results differed depending on study design, outcome measures used, and comparison groups evaluated. Overall, there are relatively few comparative clinical or economic studies for ESI procedures for lumbar spinal stenosis in adults, which indicated a need for additional evidence.

Rationale, aims and objectives To assess if co-morbidity is associated with higher use of back-related care and adherence to back pain guidelines. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study using administrative claims data from 2007-2011. We included individuals ≥18 years with an index visit for back pain. Co-morbidities were measured 12 months prior to index. Co-morbidity burden was measured using Quan's Co-morbidity Index. Co-morbidities categories were measured using chronic condition indicators from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Total lumbar spine-related resource use for three years was ascertained using procedure codes. A clustering algorithm identified higher long-term utilizer. We identified initial use from day 0-42 for several categories of spine-related care. We used logistic regression to test the association between co-morbidities and resource use. Results Greater co-morbidity burden was associated with higher long-term spine-related resource use. Those with ≥2 on Quan's Co-morbidity Index had 29% higher odds of being a high back-specific resource user compared to those with no co-morbidities [Odds Ratio (OR): 1.29, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.23-1.35]. Greater co-morbidity burden was associated with more frequent initial use of imaging, emergency visits, injections, and opioid fills; and less frequent initial use of medical and physical therapy visits. Co-morbid musculoskeletal conditions had the strongest association with being a high utilizer of long-term back-specific resources (OR: 1.53, 95% CI: 1.50-1.57). Conclusions Co-morbidity burden and the presence of specific chronic conditions, such as musculoskeletal conditions, were associated with high long-term use of back-related care and care inconsistent with guidelines.

Dysnatremia and altered hydration status are potentially serious conditions that have not been well studied in multistage ultramarathons. The purpose of this study was to assess the incidence and prevalence of exercise-associated hyponatremia (EAH) (NaThis study involved a prospective observational cohort study of runners competing in a 250-km (155-mile) multistage ultramarathon (in the Jordan, Atacama, or Gobi Desert). Prerace body weight and poststage (stage [S] 1 [42 km], S3 [126 km], and S5 [250 km]) body weight and serum sodium concentration levels were obtained from 128 runners.The prevalence of EAH per stage was 1.6% (S1), 4.8% (S3), and 10.1% (S5) with a cumulative incidence of 14.8%. Per-stage prevalence of hypernatremia was 35.2% (S1), 20.2% (S3), and 19.3% (S5) with a cumulative incidence of 52.3%. Runners became more dehydrated (weight change-3%) throughout the race (S1=22.1%; S3=51.2%; S5=53.5%). Body weight gain correlated with EAH (r=-0.21, P = .02). Nonfinishers of S3 were significantly more likely to have EAH compared with finishers (75% vs 5%, P = .001), but there was no difference in either EAH or hypernatremia between nonfinishers and finishers of S5.The incidence of EAH in multistage ultramarathons was similar to marathons and single-stage ultramarathons, but the cumulative incidence of hypernatremia was 3 times greater than that of EAH. EAH was associated with increased weight gain (overhydration) in early stage nonfinishers and postrace finishers.

Objective To examine if a comorbid diagnosis of knee or hip osteoarthritis (OA) in older adults with new back pain visits is associated with long-term patient-reported outcomes and back-related health care use. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Three integrated health systems forming the Back pain Outcomes using Longitudinal Data cohort. Participants Participants (N=5155) were older adults (≥65y) with a new visit for back pain and a complete electronic health record data. Interventions Not applicable; we obtained OA diagnoses using diagnostic codes in the electronic health record 12 months prior to the new back pain visit. Main Outcome Measures The Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RDQ) and the EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D) were key patient-reported outcomes. Health care use, measured by relative-value units (RVUs), was summed for the 12 months after the initial visit. We used linear mixed-effects models to model patient-reported outcomes. We also used generalized linear models to test the association between comorbid knee or hip OA and total back-related RVUs. Results Of the 5155 participants, 368 (7.1%) had a comorbid knee OA diagnosis, and 94 (1.8%) had a hip OA diagnosis. Of the participants, 4711 (91.4%) had neither knee nor hip OA. In adjusted models, the 12-month RDQ score was 1.23 points higher (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.72–1.74) for patients with knee OA and 1.26 points higher (95% CI, 0.24–2.27) for those with hip OA than those without knee or hip OA, respectively. A lower EQ-5D score was found among participants with knee OA (.02 lower; 95% CI, −.04 to −.01) and hip OA diagnoses (.03 lower; 95% CI, −.05 to −.01) compared with those without knee or hip OA, respectively. Comorbid knee or hip OA was not significantly associated with total 12-month back-related resource use. Conclusions Comorbid knee or hip OA in older adults with a new back pain visit was associated with modestly worse long-term disability and health-related quality of life.

Background The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Health Care Systems Research Collaboratory (NIH Collaboratory) seeks to produce generalizable knowledge about the conduct of pragmatic research in health systems. This analysis applied the PRECIS-2 pragmatic trial criteria to five NIH Collaboratory pragmatic trials to better understand 1) the pragmatic aspects of the design and implementation of treatments delivered in real world settings and 2) the usability of the PRECIS-2 criteria for assessing pragmatic features across studies and across time. Methods/Design Using the PRECIS-2 criteria, five pragmatic trials were each rated by eight raters. For each trial, we reviewed the original grant application and a required progress report written at the end of a 1-year planning period that included changes to the protocol or implementation approach. We calculated median scores and interrater reliability for each PRECIS domain and for the overall trial at both time points, as well as the differences in scores between the two time points. We also reviewed the rater comments associated with the scores. Results All five trials were rated to be more pragmatic than explanatory, with comments indicating that raters generally perceived them to closely mirror routine clinical care across multiple domains. The PRECIS-2 domains for which the trials were, on average, rated as most pragmatic on the 1 to 5 scale at the conclusion of the planning period included primary analysis (mean = 4.7 (range = 4.5 to 4.9)), recruitment (4.3 (3.6 to 4.8)), eligibility (4.1 (3.4 to 4.8)), setting (4.1 (4.0 to 4.4)), follow-up (4.1 (3.4 to 4.9)), and primary outcome (4.1 (3.5 to 4.9)). On average, the less pragmatic domains were organization (3.3 (2.6 to 4.4)), flexibility of intervention delivery (3.5 (2.1-4.5)), and flexibility of intervention adherence (3.8 (2.8-4.5)). Interrater agreement was modest but statistically significant for four trials (Gwet’s AC1 statistic range 0.23 to 0.40) and the intraclass correlation coefficient ranged from 0.05 to 0.31. Rating challenges included assigning a single score for domains that may relate to both patients and care settings (that is, eligibility or recruitment) and determining to what extent aspects of complex research interventions differ from usual care. Conclusions These five trials in diverse healthcare settings were rated as highly pragmatic using the PRECIS-2 criteria. Applying the tool generated insightful discussion about real-world design decisions but also highlighted challenges using the tool. PRECIS-2 raters would benefit from additional guidance about how to rate the interwoven patient and practice-level considerations that arise in pragmatic trials. Trial registrations Clinicaltrials.gov trial registrations: NCT02019225, NCT01742065, NCT02015455, NCT02113592, NCT02063867.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the predictive validity of the STarT Back tool for classifying people with back pain into categories of low, medium, and high risk of persistent disabling back pain, in US primary care. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of data from participants receiving usual care in a randomized clinical trial. SETTING: Primary care clinics. PARTICIPANTS: 1109 adults with back pain ≥18 years of age. Those with specific causes of back pain (pregnancy, disc herniation, vertebral fracture, spinal stenosis) and work-related injuries were not included. INTERVENTIONS: N/A MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The original 9-item version of the STarT Back tool, administered at baseline, stratified patients by their risk (low, medium, high) of persistent disabling back pain (‘STarT Back risk group’). Persistent disabling back pain was defined as Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire scores of ≥7 at 6-month follow-up. RESULTS: STarT Back risk group was a significant predictor of persistent disabling back pain (p

Determine prevalence, incidence, and risk factors of acute kidney injury (AKI) during multistage ultramarathons.Prospective observational cohort study.Jordanian Desert 2012; Atacama Desert, Chile 2012 and 2013; and Gobi Desert 2013 RacingThePlanet 250 km, 6-stage, ultramarathons.One hundred twenty-eight participants (384 measurements) from the Jordan (25, 19.5%), Gobi (35, 27.3%), 2012 Atacama (24, 18.8%), and 2013 Atacama (44, 34.4%) races.Blood samples and weights were gathered and analyzed immediately after stage 1 (40 km), 3 (120 km), and 5 (225 km).Changes in serum creatinine (Cr), cumulative incidence, and prevalence of AKI were calculated for each stage with "risk of injury" defined as 1.5 × baseline Cr and "injury" defined as 2 × Cr.Cumulative incidence of AKI was 41.4%. Stage 1 had 56 (43.8%) with risk of AKI and 24 (18.8%) with injury; in stage 3, 61 (47.7%) were at risk, 41 (32%) had injury; in stage 5, 62 (48.4%) runners were at risk and 36 (28.1%) had injury. Acute kidney injury was significantly associated with females [odds ratio (OR), 4.64; 95% confidence interval (CI), 2.07-10.37; P0.001], lower pack weight (OR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.56-0.91; P0.007), and percentage weight loss (OR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.78-0.97; P0.015). Lowest quintile of finishers was less likely to develop AKI (OR, 0.18; 95% CI, 0.04-0.78; P0.022).Prevalence of AKI was 63%-78% during multistage ultramarathons. Female sex, lower pack weight, and greater weight loss were associated with renal impairment.

Background The association between early physical therapy (PT) and subsequent health-care utilization following a new visit for low back pain is not clear, particularly in the setting of acute low back pain. Purpose This study aimed to estimate the association between initiating early PT following a new visit for an episode of low back pain and subsequent back pain–specific health-care utilization in older adults. Design/Setting This is a prospective cohort study. Data were collected at three integrated health-care systems in the United States through the Back Pain Outcomes using Longitudinal Data (BOLD) registry. Patient Sample We recruited 4,723 adults, aged 65 and older, presenting to a primary care setting with a new episode of low back pain. Outcome Measures Primary outcome was total back pain–specific relative value units (RVUs), from days 29 to 365. Secondary outcomes included overall RVUs for all health care and use of specific health-care services including imaging (x-ray and magnetic resonance imaging [MRI] or computed tomography [CT]), emergency department visits, physician visits, PT, spinal injections, spinal surgeries, and opioid use. Methods We compared patients who had early PT (initiated within 28 days of the index visit) with those not initiating early PT using appropriate, generalized linear models to adjust for potential confounding variables. Results Adjusted analysis found no statistically significant difference in total spine RVUs between the two groups (ratio of means 1.19, 95% CI of 0.72–1.96, p=.49). For secondary outcomes, only the difference between total spine imaging RVUs and total PT RVUs was statistically significant. The early PT group had greater PT RVUs; the ratio of means was 2.56 (95% CI of 2.17–3.03, p Conclusions We found that in a group of older adults presenting for a new episode of low back pain, the use of early PT is not associated with any statistically significant difference in subsequent back pain–specific health-care utilization compared with patients not receiving early PT.