Clinical, Morphological and Functional Success Predictors Following Lumbar Spinal Surgery in Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain and Degenerative Disorders.

The long term goal of this project is dual fold. First, the investigators wish to derive, validate and then test the impact of a clinical prediction rule to determine which patients who suffer from CLBP with degenerative changes of the lumbar spine and referred pain to the legs are likely to require surgery and have successful outcomes in the long term. Second, the investigators would like to establish robust methodology and statistical analysis guidelines for creating clinical prediction rules in physical therapy research. This observational cohort project is a first step towards those goals. Here the investigators specifically aim to identify personal, behavioral, psychological, morphological, and physical factors that can predict the need for surgery as well as level of participation restriction in patients who suffer from CLBP with degenerative conditions of the lumbar spine and referred pain to the legs. The investigators will also explore which parameters can predict success after 1 month, 6 and 12 months in patients who underwent decompression/fusion surgery.