Most of the outcome question naires had a mixed content reflecting various constructs such as pain and symptoms , sleep disturbances , psychological dysfunctions , physical impairments , and social functions .
STUDY DESIGN A systematic literature review of outcome question naires design ed for assessing functional status or disability in patients with low back pain .
OBJECTIVES To provide a comprehensive overview of all functioning/disability question naires used in recent years and to explore how the main concept(s ) was described or defined in the original paper , the content or the domains of disability , and the measurement properties of the question naires .
SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA A number of clinical tools design ed for evaluating the functional status of patients with low back pain have been developed .
Only a few have been review ed earlier , and there has been little focus on the content reflected in the question naires .
The Quebec Task Force Classification for Spinal Disorders and the Severity, Treatment, and Outcomes of Sciatica and Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
Study Design A prospect i ve cohort study of patients in Maine with sciatica and lumbar spinal stenosis treated surgically and nonsurgically .  Summary of Background Data In 1987 , the Quebec Task Force on Spinal Disorders proposed a diagnostic classification to help make clinical decisions , evaluate quality of care , assess prognosis , and conduct research . Objectives To assess the Quebec Task Force classification 's ability to stratify patients according to severity and treatment at baseline , and to assess changes over time in health‐related quality of life , including symptoms , functional status , and disability . Methods Five hundred sixteen patients participating in the Maine Lumbar Spine Study who completed baseline and 1‐year follow‐up evaluations were classified successfully according to the Quebec Task Force classification . Patient characteristics and treatments were compared across Quebec Task Force classification categories . Changes in health‐related quality of life over 1 year were assessed according to Quebec Task Force classification category and type of treatment . Results Among patients with sciatica ( n = 370 ) , higher Quebec Task Force classification categories ( from 2 , pain radiating to the proximal extremity , to 6 , sciatica with evidence of nerve root compression ) were associated with increased severity of symptoms at baseline . There was no association between Quebec Task Force classification and baseline functional status . Quebec Task Force classification was associated strongly with the likelihood of receiving surgical treatment ( P ≤ 0.005 ) . Among patients with sciatica treated nonsurgically , improvement at 1 year in back‐specific and generic physical function increased with higher Quebec Task Force classification category ( P ≤ 0.05 ) . Only a nonsignificant trend was observed for surgically treated patients . Patients with lumbar spinal stenosis ( Quebec Task Force classification 7 , n = 131 ) had baseline features and outcomes distinct from patients with sciatica . Conclusions For patients with sciatica , the Quebec Task Force classification was highly associated with the severity of symptoms and the probability of subsequent surgical treatment . Nonsurgically treated patients in Quebec Task Force classification categories reflecting nerve root compression had greater improvement than those with pain symptoms alone . Among surgical patients , the Quebec Task Force classification was not associated with outcome . These results provide validation for the classification and its wider adoption . Nonetheless , improved diagnostic classifications are needed to predict outcomes better in patients with sciatica who undergo surgery
Most of the outcome question naires had a mixed content reflecting various constructs such as pain and symptoms , sleep disturbances , psychological dysfunctions , physical impairments , and social functions .
STUDY DESIGN A systematic literature review of outcome question naires design ed for assessing functional status or disability in patients with low back pain .
OBJECTIVES To provide a comprehensive overview of all functioning/disability question naires used in recent years and to explore how the main concept(s ) was described or defined in the original paper , the content or the domains of disability , and the measurement properties of the question naires .
SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA A number of clinical tools design ed for evaluating the functional status of patients with low back pain have been developed .
Only a few have been review ed earlier , and there has been little focus on the content reflected in the question naires .