About the Study

Lumbar Fusion Surgery or Personalised Spinal Care (i.e., best conservative care) are treatments that may be offered to people with ongoing severe low back pain and certain findings on spinal scans. We do not yet know if one treatment works better than the other. To find out, we use a special type of study called a randomised controlled trial.

Study Aims

The FORENSIC-Australia study aims to find out:

Whether lumbar fusion surgery or personalised spinal care is better at helping people do everyday activities over 2 years.
Whether lumbar fusion surgery or personalised spinal care provide good value for money for the Australian health care system.

FORENSIC-Australia: Recruitment

Information about the Study

Study Design

This study is being run at several sites across Australia.

It uses a special type of study called a randomised controlled trial. This means participants are randomly placed into one of two groups.

We collect information from participants, interview some participants, and look at the cost of treatments.

Treatments

Everyone who joins will be placed into one of two groups:

one group will have Lumbar Fusion Surgery
the other group will have Personalised Spinal Care

There is a 50/50 chance of being in either group. This helps us make a fair comparison.

Study Duration

If you choose to take part, you will be in the study for 2 years.

To join, you need to be comfortable receiving either lumbar fusion surgery or personalised spinal care.

We ask that you stay with your assigned treatment and give it a fair chance to help your back over the full 2-year period.

Who can take part

About 270 adults aged 18 to 65 can take part.

Participants must have ongoing severe low back pain and certain findings on spinal scans. They must also have already tried recommended non-surgical treatments.

What the study measures

The main study measure is how back pain affects everyday physical activities.

We use a short survey called the Oswestry Disability Index.

Funder and Sponsor

This study has been funded by The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and is sponsored by The University of Queensland.