Factors predicting outcomes of mechanical sciatica: a review of 1092 cases.

As an extremely common symptom and major source of lost productivity, mechanical sciatica places a heavy burden on public health.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed 1092 medical records to determine the epidemiological, clinical, imaging study, and therapeutic characteristics of mechanical sciatica. We also looked for factors associated with adverse outcomes.

RESULTS

Mean patient age was 45.0 +/- 13.3 years, and 61.8% of patients were women. A history of low back pain was noted in 35.2% of cases. A single nerve root was involved in 68% of cases, and L5 was the most commonly affected root. Disk herniation was the cause in 58.4% of patients. First-line conservative treatment provided relief in 75% of cases, and the overall 6-month outcome was favorable in 76.5% of cases.

CONCLUSIONS

The multivariate analysis conducted in the overall patient population showed that factors associated with adverse 6-month outcomes were heavy labor (odds ratio (OR) = 1.69; 95% confidence interval (95% CI) = 1.01-2.86; P = 0.049) and obesity (OR = 1.5; 95% CI = 1.01-2.47; P = 0.05).