SutntnaryThe authors present a prospective analysis with 1 year follow-up of about 157 consecutive spinal cord injured patients admitted to the Bordeaux CHU, over a 3 year period (1982)(1983)(1984)(1985). They present a method of analysing the walking status recovery in patients with spinal cord injuries from the early factors recorded on initial clinical examination. Twenty eight per cent of all patients are 'functional walkers', 1 year after injury. Three early factors were selected: age; the level of injury; and the initial Yale Scale Score. Only the age and the initial Yale Scale Score are independant predictive factors, according to the Cox model.The authors present a model of walking status recovery, 1 year after the injury, predicted from age and the initial Yale Scale Score.Key words: Spinal cord injury; Walking status; Prognosis.The prediction of the evolution of a spinal cord injury is necessary for the physician to develop a therapeutic strategy for the patient for functional activity and for any economic repercussions. When the initial emergency is resolved, the question is to know to what level a spinal injured patient will recover a functional autonomy in his daily life. We chose as functional criteria the walking status recovery, for this is the most commonly studied in the literature. We have to acknowledge that the physician does not give a prognosis of the possibilities of late recovery, according to the severity of the initial spinal shock. Our team operates very early in the evaluation of these injured patients and collaborates with the emergency team. As we are involved in the earliest care of the patients, we are confronted with the question of the prognosis from the very day of the injury.The purpose of this work is to establish a prediction for walking recovery in those with spinal cord injuries, from the early factors recorded on the initial clinical examination. Patients and tnethodsThe crucial point is to obtain a population as representative as possible of the 'theoretical' population of the spinal injured patients. If some selection bias exist, due to a defective protocol or simply to chance, the results may be totally wrong. To try to overcome the risk we consider the prognosis very early on on

Background: Low back pain is the most common affliction of the musculoskeletal system. Patients with chronic low back pain cost the society great expenses in treatments and other social benefits; however, the effects of interventions are discussed. The purpose of this study was to determine whether patients with chronic low back pain experience pain reduction and functional improvement after treatment at a multidisciplinary outpatient clinic.Methods: A prospective study design was used, including 446 patients who participated in follow-up questionnaires with data collection at 6 and 12 months after treatment. The primary outcome was alterations in pain and function.Result: By 12 months after treatment, 71.3 % of the included patients had completed the follow-up questionnaires. Based on these questionnaires, we identified statistically significant changes from baseline at all end points, with clinically significant changes in approximately half of the participants (p = 0.000). Conclusion:Treatment of chronic low back pain at a multidisciplinary outpatient clinic resulted in clinically significant pain reduction and functional improvement within 12 months for approximately half of affected patients.