The Association Between Early Postoperative Leg Pain Intensity and Disability at 1-Year and 2-Year Follow-Up After First-Time Lumbar Discectomy

Study Design: Longitudinal cohort study. Objectives: To investigate whether a cutoff point in leg pain intensity measured preoperatively or at early follow-up could identify patients at risk of poor outcomes in terms of disability at 1-year and 2-year follow-up after first-time lumbar discectomy, and to identify the characteristics associated with early postoperative leg pain intensity. Methods: From 2010 to 2013, 556 patients underwent lumbar discectomy. Leg pain intensity was measured preoperatively and at early postoperative follow-up and dichotomized according to an established cutoff point on a 0 to 100 visual analogue scale (mild