The Clinical Course of Low Back Pain in Adolescents: A Prognostic Study at Children's Wisconsin

Project Summary:

There is limited research on the clinical course and prognostic factors for adolescent lower back pain (LBP), and it is unclear whether adult prognostic factors translate to youth. Robust clinical research is needed to guide decision-making in adolescents with LBP and to optimize treatment options. The project team will conduct a full-scale prospective clinical cohort study, building on its feasibility work and an ongoing pilot study that has, thus far, demonstrated the effective application of data collection methods in adolescents with LBP. The team has identified a collaborative opportunity to embed this essential research within a clinic dedicated to managing pediatric spine disorders. The AIM Spine Center at Children’s Wisconsin (CW) in Milwaukee is the first spine center in the U.S. dedicated exclusively to the pediatric population. It features an interdisciplinary team of spine clinicians collaborating to diagnose and manage adolescents with LBP. With approximately 40% of adolescents having one or more episodes of back pain in a year, this study provides the opportunity to improve outcomes for approximately 300,000 Wisconsin youth at high risk for persistent LBP into adulthood. For this cohort study, patients aged 10-19 presenting for care with LBP will be screened for eligibility and invited to participate. Findings from this study will immediately benefit clinical decision-making at CW and inform our future research program, which includes NIH grant applications on causal inference (identifying treatment targets) and stratified care models for adolescent LBP.