TY - JOUR T1 - Lumbar fusion did not differ from cognitive therapy plus exercise for reducing disability and pain in chronic low back pain JF - Evidence Based Medicine JO - Evid Based Med SP - 51 LP - 51 DO - 10.1136/ebm.9.2.51 VL - 9 IS - 2 A2 - , Y1 - 2004/03/01 UR - http://ebm.bmj.com/content/9/2/51.abstract N2 - Brox JI, Sørensen R, Friis A, et al. Randomized clinical trial of lumbar instrumented fusion and cognitive intervention and exercises in patients with chronic low back pain and disc degeneration. Spine 2003;28:1913–1921.OpenUrlCrossRefPubMedWeb of Science 
 
 Q In patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP), is instrumented lumbar fusion (ILF) more effective than cognitive therapy plus exercise (CTE) for reducing CLBP related disability and pain? Clinical impact ratings GP/FP/Primary care ★★★★★★☆ Neurology ★★★★★★☆ Design: randomised controlled trial. Allocation: concealed.* Blinding: outcome assessors.* Follow up period: 1 year. Setting: 4 hospitals in Norway. Patients: 64 patients 25–60 years of age (mean age 43 y, 61% men) with CLBP that lasted >1 year who had Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) ⩾30 of 100 points, and degeneration at L4–L5 and/or L5–S1 (spondylosis) on plain radiographs. Exclusion criteria included widespread myofascial pain, spinal stenosis with reduced walking distance and neurological signs, and recurrent disc herniation or lateral recess stenosis … ER -