Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ASCO Annual Meeting 2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

2024 ASCO Annual Meeting

Keep up to date with all the top stories and latest evidence with our hub page, including official congress videos and expert takeaways.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
European Spine Journal
Published in: European Spine Journal 8/2012

01-08-2012 | Original Article

The normative score and the cut-off value of the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI)

Authors: Juichi Tonosu, Katsushi Takeshita, Nobuhiro Hara, Ko Matsudaira, So Kato, Kazuhiro Masuda, Hirotaka Chikuda

Published in: European Spine Journal | Issue 8/2012

Login to get access

Abstract

Purpose

The Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) is one of the most common scoring systems used for patients with low back pain (LBP). Although the normative score of the ODI was reported to be 10.19 in a review article, no study has calculated the normative score after adjusting the value based on the age distribution. In addition, none of the previous studies has estimated the cut-off value which separates LBP with disability from LBP without disability. The purpose of this study was to estimate the normative score by adjusting the data for age distribution in Japan, and to determine the cut-off value which separates LBP with disability from LBP without disability.

Methods

We conducted an internet survey on LBP using the Japanese version of the ODQ. A total of 1,200 respondents, composed of 100 males and 100 females in each age group (from the 20s to 70s), participated in this study. We also asked them to provide information about their backgrounds. We estimated the normative score after correcting for the age distribution of Japan. We also estimated the ODI of those with or without disability, the factors associated with the ODI, and the cut-off value which separates LBP with disability from LBP without disability.

Results

The participants’ backgrounds were similar to the national survey. The normative score of the ODI was estimated at 8.73. The ODI of the LBP with disability group was 22.07. Those with sciatica and obese subjects showed higher ODI than those without. The optimal cut-off value was estimated to be 12.

Conclusions

We defined the normative score and the cut-off value of the ODI.
Appendix
Available only for authorised users
Literature
1.
Krismer M, van Tulder M, Low Back Pain Group of the Bone and Joint Health Strategies for Europe Project (2007) Strategies for prevention and management of musculoskeletal conditions. low back pain (non-specific). Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 21:77–91PubMedCrossRef
2.
Suzukamo Y, Takahashi N, Konno S, Kikuchi S, Fukuhara S (2007) Outcome study of low back pain. Pharma Medica 25:9–12 (in Japanese)
3.
Hattori S, Takeshima N, Kimura N, Yamamoto K, Mizutani A, Noguchi T (2004) The clinical perspective on chronic pain management in Japan. Pain clinic 25:1541–1551 (in Japanese)
4.
Matsudaira K, Takeshita K, Kunogi J, Yamazaki T, Hara N, Yamada K, Takagi Y (2011) Prevalence and characteristics of chronic pain in the general Japanese population. Pain clinic 32:1349–1360 (in Japanese)
5.
Fairbank JC, Couper J, Davies JB, O’Brien JP (1980) The Oswestry low back pain disability questionnaire. Physiotherapy 66:271–273PubMed
6.
7.
Fujiwara A, Kobayashi N, Saiki K, Kitagawa T, Tamai K, Saotome K (2003) Association of the Japanese Orthopaedic Association score with the Oswestry Disability Index, Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire, and short-form 36. Spine 28:1601–1607PubMed
8.
Coelho RA, Siqueira FB, Ferreira PH, Ferreira ML (2008) Responsiveness of the Brazilian-Portuguese version of the Oswestry Disability Index in subjects with low back pain. Eur Spine J 17:1101–1106PubMedCrossRef
9.
10.
Monticone M, Baiardi P, Vanti C, Ferrari S, Pillastrini P, Mugnai R, Foti C (2012) Responsiveness of the Oswestry Disability Index and the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire in Italian subjects with sub-acute and chronic low back pain. Eur Spine J 21:122–129PubMedCrossRef
11.
Von Korff M, Ormel J, Keefe FJ, Dworkin SF (1992) Grading the severity of chronic pain. Pain 50:133–149CrossRef
12.
Hashimoto H, Komagata M, Nakai O, Morishita M, Tokuhashi Y, Sano S, Nohara Y, Okajima Y (2006) Discriminative validity and responsiveness of the Oswestry Disability Index among Japanese outpatients with lumbar conditions. Eur Spine J 15:1645–1650PubMedCrossRef
13.
14.
Dionne CE, Dunn KM, Croft PR, Nachemson AL, Buchbinder R, Walker BF, Wyatt M, Cassidy JD, Rossignol M, Leboeuf-Yde C, Hartvigsen J, Leino-Arjas P, Latza U, Reis S, Gil Del Real MT, Kovacs FM, Oberg B, Cedraschi C, Bouter LM, Koes BW, Picavet HS, van Tulder MW, Burton K, Foster NE, Macfarlane GJ, Thomas E, Underwood M, Waddell G, Shekelle P, Volinn E, Von Korff M (2008) A consensus approach toward the standardization of back pain definitions for use in prevalence studies. Spine 33:95–103PubMedCrossRef
15.
16.
17.
Hupli M, Heinonen R, Vanharanta H (1997) Height changes among chronic low back pain patients during intense physical exercise. Scand J Med Sci Sports 7:32–37PubMedCrossRef
18.
Hupli M, Hurri H, Luoto S, Sainio P, Alaranta H (1996) Isokinetic performance capacity of trunk muscles. Part I: The effect of repetition on measurement of isokinetic performance capacity of trunk muscles among healthy controls and two different groups of low-back pain patients. Scand J Rehabil Med 28:201–206PubMed
19.
Hupli M, Sainio P, Hurri H, Alaranta H (1997) Comparison of trunk strength measurements between two different isokinetic devices used at clinical settings. J Spinal Disord 10:391–397PubMedCrossRef
20.
Kankaanpää M, Taimela S, Laaksonen D, Hänninen O, Airaksinen O (1998) Back and hip extensor fatigability in chronic low back pain patients and controls. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 79:412–417PubMedCrossRef
21.
Kankaanpää M, Taimela S, Webber CL Jr, Airaksinen O, Hänninen O (1997) Lumbar paraspinal muscle fatigability in repetitive isoinertial loading: EMG spectral indices, Borg scale and endurance time. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol. 76:236–242PubMedCrossRef
22.
Hill JC, Konstantinou K, Egbewale BE, Dunn KM, Lewis M, van der Windt D (2011) Clinical outcomes among low back pain consulters with referred leg pain in primary care. Spine 36:2168–2175PubMedCrossRef
23.
Valat JP, Genevay S, Marty M, Rozenberg S, Koes B (2010) Sciatica. Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 24:241–252PubMedCrossRef
24.
Shiri R, Karppinen J, Leino-Arjas P, Solovieva S, Viikari-Juntura E (2010) The association between obesity and low back pain: a meta-analysis.: The association between obesity and low back pain: A meta-analysis. Am J Epidemiol 171:135–154PubMedCrossRef
25.
Lin CW, McAuley JH, Macedo L, Barnett DC, Smeets RJ, Verbunt JA (2011) Relationship between physical activity and disability in low back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Pain 152:607–613PubMedCrossRef
26.
Hendrick P, Milosavljevic S, Hale L, Hurley DA, McDonough S, Ryan B, Baxter GD (2011) The relationship between physical activity and low back pain outcomes: a systematic review of observational studies. Eur Spine J 20:464–474PubMedCrossRef
27.
Snook SH (2004) Work-related low back pain: secondary intervention. J Electromyogr Kinesiol 14:153–160PubMedCrossRef
28.
Kleinman L, Leidy NK, Crawley J, Bonomi A, Schoenfeld P (2001) A comparative trial of paper-and-pencil versus computer administration of the Quality of Life in Reflux and Dyspepsia (QOLRAD) questionnaire. Med Care 39:181–189PubMedCrossRef
29.
Boeckner LS, Pullen CH, Walker SN, Abbott GW, Block T (2002) Use and reliability of the World Wide Web version of the Block Health Habits and History Questionnaire with older rural women. J Nutr Educ Behav. 34(Suppl 1):S20–S24PubMedCrossRef
Metadata
Title
The normative score and the cut-off value of the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI)
Authors
Juichi Tonosu
Katsushi Takeshita
Nobuhiro Hara
Ko Matsudaira
So Kato
Kazuhiro Masuda
Hirotaka Chikuda
Publication date
01-08-2012
Publisher
Springer-Verlag
Published in
European Spine Journal / Issue 8/2012
Print ISSN: 0940-6719
Electronic ISSN: 1432-0932
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-012-2173-7

Other articles of this Issue 8/2012

European Spine Journal 8/2012 Go to the issue

Original Article

Chronic neck pain and treatment of cognitive and behavioural factors: results of a randomised controlled clinical trial

Original Article

A geometrical model of vertical translation and alar ligament tension in atlanto-axial rotation

Grand Rounds

Expert’s comment concerning Grand Rounds case entitled “Fusionless posterior hemivertebra resection in a 2-year-old child with 16 years follow-up” (by D. Jeszenszky, T. F. Fekete, F. S. Kleinstueck, D. Haschtmann, L. Bognár)

Chinese section

The anatomic study of clival screw fixation for the craniovertebral region

Erratum

Erratum to: Chronic neck pain and treatment of cognitive and behavioural factors: results of a randomised controlled clinical trial

Original Article

Patients’ views on an education booklet following spinal surgery