Surgical versus non-surgical treatment of chronic low back pain: A meta-analysis of randomised trials

The results from 3 studies comparing the outcomes of surgical and non-surgical interventions for chronic low back pain were complied. Analysis of the compiled data indicated that surgical fusion provided slightly better Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores compared to non-surgical interventions, but this difference was not significant. The main conclusion of this meta-analysis was that surgical fusion should be used cautiously based on the minimal improvements it provides. Long term randomized trials are still required to fully establish this finding due to the paucity of quality literature.