73. Defining the normative level of functional low back pain disability in the American population: A crowdsourced evaluation of the Oswestry disability index

• Published in: The spine journal 2024-09, Vol.24 (9), p.S39-S39
• Main Authors: Kumar, Rakesh, Alostaz, Murad, Bansal, Aiyush, Varley, Eric, Nemani, Venu M., Leveque, Jean-Christophe Andre, Louie, Philip
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1529-9430
• DOI: 10.1016/j.spinee.2024.06.516

The Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) is widely utilized as a patient reported outcome tool to assess patients presenting with low back pain (LBP) as well as a measure of postinterventional LBP. No previous study has calculated the normative range of ODI values in a diverse American (US) population. Establishing age-adjusted normative values for ODI in the US population is crucial for assessment of treatment strategies, particularly for adult spinal degenerative and deformity patients. We hypothesize that functional low back disability in an US population increases with age, without significant differences between gender. This study aims to determine the normative range of functional low back disability (as measured by the ODI) adjusted for age and gender distribution in a US population. Cross-section observational study. A total of 616 demographic matched survey takers across the US. Normative ODI scores for different age groups and genders. The connect(™) platform powered by Cloud Research (New York, NY, USA) was used to deploy an internet-based survey strategically designed to engage a demographically representative sample of the United States adult population as defined by the latest US Census data. Participants were asked to score their LBP by completing the English version of ODI survey. The cohort consisted of 296 (48.1%) males and 320 (51.9%) females with an age distribution closely aligning with national demographics. The overall mean ODI score for the combined age groups was 14 (95% CI [12.9, 15.2]). The mean ODI scores increased with age, with the highest mean ODI in the age 80-89 cohort. Female participants reported higher mean ODI scores than their male counterparts in the 18-29 age group (p = .03), 40-49 age group (p = .02), 50-59 age group (p = .01), and 60-69 age group (p = .01). Additionally, a weak positive correlation was found between Body Mass Index (BMI) and ODI scores (r = 0.18, p < .001). Our findings demonstrate a clear trend of increased disability with age. This study is the first to describe the normative range of functional low back pain disability in the US population. By defining these parameters, healthcare professionals can better tailor age and sex-specific interventions to manage disability in the aging US population. Ultimately, improving both operative and nonoperative patient care for LBP-related thoracolumbar pathology. This abstract does not discuss or include any applicable devices or drugs.