Do more MRI findings imply worse disability or more intense low back pain?
The combined MRI findings were not related to the degree of disability or the intensity of LBP. These degenerative MRI findings cannot explain variation in pre-treatment disability and pain in patients with chronic LBP accepted for disc prosthesis surgery.
Consulting previous research before embarking on a new trial and basing decisions about future research on the impact on an updated meta-analysis will make the reporting of research more coherent and the design of new RCTs more efficient.