Since the beginning of 2008, all pa

Since the beginning of 2008, all patients undergoing
spinal fusion surgery in Tampere University Hospital or
Jyväskylä Central Hospital have been recruited to a prospective
follow-up study.
In August 2010, the spinal database comprised 285
patients with the 6 most common diagnoses for elective
spinal fusion. These diagnoses were degenerative
spondylolisthesis, spondylolysis, spinal stenosis, disc herniation
or degeneration, postoperative conditions and
degenerative scoliosis. Disability and HRQoL measures
were available preoperatively and 3 and 12 months postoperatively
for 252 of these patients (88%) all of whom
were included in this study. Six surgeons had performed
the operations, and in most cases in teams of two
surgeons.