Predictors of low back pain disability. x

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x Frymoyer JW. Cats-Baril W. x Clinical Orthopaedics & Related Research. [JC:dfy] (221):89-98, 1987 Aug. Low back pain has major socioeconomic implications; much of the costs x relate to disability and compensation. Theoretically, the early x identification of patients at risk to become disabled from a low back x episode would lead to more aggressive intervention and reduction of x subsequent disability. Low back disability is related to occupational, x psychosocial, diagnostic, demographic, anthropometric, health behavior, x and injury factors that have been reported in the literature. The x multiattribute utility model is a new experimental approach to prediction x of disability. The relative weights of the various factors that might be x predictive of low back disability are determined by a panel of experts. x Although this model is not yet scientifically proven, it offers a x promising method of answering the question, "Can low back disability be x predicted?" x