The ODI remains a valid and vigorous measure and has been a worthwhile outcome measure .
The behavior of the instrument is incompletely understood , particularly in sensitivity to real change .
The Oswestry Disability Index ( ODI ) has become one of the principal condition-specific outcome measures used in the management of spinal disorders .
To review the versions of this instrument , document methods by which it has been vali date d , collate data from scores found in normal and back pain population s , provide curves for power calculations in studies using the ODI , and maintain the ODI as a gold st and ard outcome measure .
It has now been 20 years since its original publication .
Lumbar spinal stenosis: assessment of long-term outcome 12 years after operative and conservative treatment.
The present study focuses on the long-term prognosis of radiographically verified stenosis of the lower lumbar spine . The purpose here was to describe the outcome 12 years after radiographic diagnosis of spinal stenosis and to identify factors predicting disability after operative or conservative treatment . Data were compiled on 75 patients ( 43 men and 32 women ) with changes in functional myelography diagnostic for spinal stenosis . Their mean age at the interview 12 years later was 61 years .  The sagittal diameter of the dural sac was measured from baseline myelographs at all intervertebral levels and was corrected for magnification . In the interview , subjective outcome assessment was obtained with a structured question naire , and the low-back disorder was scored using the Oswestry disability index . The sagittal diameter of the dural sac was severely stenotic ( < 7.0 mm ) in 32 patients ( 26 operated ) , and moderately stenotic ( 7.0 - 10.5 mm ) in 43 patients ( 31 operated ) . The severity of the stenosis significantly predicted disability , even when the effects of age , sex , therapy regimen , and body mass index were adjusted for . For moderate and severe stenosis , the adjusted mean Oswestry indices were 28.4 and 39.1 , respectively ( p = 0.01 ) . Therapy as such ( operative versus nonoperative ) did not significantly correlate with later disability . The radiographic severity of lumbar spinal stenosis predicts disability independently of therapy regimen . R and omized clinical trials are needed to establish the indications for surgical and conservative treatment . Radiographic severity of the stenosis should be considered as an effect-modifying or confounding factor in clinical trials and other studies focusing on the outcome of lumbar spinal stenosis
The ODI remains a valid and vigorous measure and has been a worthwhile outcome measure .
The behavior of the instrument is incompletely understood , particularly in sensitivity to real change .
The Oswestry Disability Index ( ODI ) has become one of the principal condition-specific outcome measures used in the management of spinal disorders .
To review the versions of this instrument , document methods by which it has been vali date d , collate data from scores found in normal and back pain population s , provide curves for power calculations in studies using the ODI , and maintain the ODI as a gold st and ard outcome measure .
It has now been 20 years since its original publication .