Classification, diagnostic pathway, and outcome measures in patients with low back pain: Guidelines of the Croatian Society of Vertebrology

Autori:

Simeon Grazio, Arijana Lovrenčić-Huzjan, Marija Ivica, Rudolf Vukojević, Alemka Krajač-Čupić, Frane Grubišić, Karlo Houra, Nadic Laktašić Žerjavić, Tatjana Nikolić, Porin Perić, Darko Perović, Tea Schnurrer Luke Vrbanić, Tonko Vlak, Helena Markulin, Lea Škorić, Vladimir Trkulja

Sažetak
Cilj. Izraditi nacionalne smjernice za klasifikaciju, dijagnostiku i mjere ishoda u križobolji. Metode. Sustavni pregled literature i evaluacija multidisciplinarnog panela te formulacija preporuka prema metodi GRADE, procesom glasanja i konsenzusa. Rezultati. Definirane su 23 preporuke, od kojih se 14 snažno, a 9 uvjetno preporučuje. Snažne preporuke odnose se na standardnu definiciju križobolje, klasifikaciju križobolje prema trajanju na akutnu (<6 tj.), subakutnu (6–12 tj.) i kroničnu križobolju (>12 tj.), s dodatnim izrazom „probijajuća bol / akutno pogoršanje kronične križobolje“, etiološku podjelu na nespecifičnu križobolju i specifičnu križobolju (uključujući onu povezanu s ozbiljnim stanjima), te križobolju s radikulopatijom, pri čemu se može koristiti i termin „lumboishijalgija“. Anamneza i klinička procjena temelj su utvrđivanja početne dijagnoze i pristupu liječenju, pri čemu se u akutnoj i subakutnoj fazi križobolje treba uzeti u obzir znakove upozorenja ozbiljne patologije. Snažno se preporučuju i: nekorisnost laboratorijskih pretraga za procjenu nespecifične križobolje (iako mogu biti korisne u diferencijalnoj dijagnozi), nepostojanje indikacije za primjenu slikovne dijagnostike kod akutne križobolje i odsutnosti tzv. „crvenih zastava“, preporuka za slikovne metode kod sumnje na ozbiljnu patologiju u sklopu specifičnih uzroka križobolje, primjena magnetske rezonancije (MR) ili kompjuterizirane tomografije (ako je MR kontraindicirana) ako se razmatra invazivni/kirurški zahvat, a slikovna dijagnostika se može razmotriti u slučaju značajnog nesposobnosti zbog kronične križobolje (nakon tri mjeseca), dok nema indikacije za njezino ponavljanje ako nema promjene simptoma. Elektromiografija (EMG) se ne preporučuje kod akutne križobolje, a može se učiniti u slučaju dugotrajne i izražene subakutne/kronične križobolje s radikulopatijom. Također, snažno se preporučuje da mjere ishoda, a posebno ishodi o kojima izvještavaju bolesnici, trebaju biti standardna klinička praksa, pri čemu su preporučeni instrumenti za procjenu intenziteta boli vizualna analogna ljestvica (VAS) i numerička ljestvica boli (NRS). Zaključak. Definirane su snažne i uvjetne preporuke o klasifikaciji, važnosti dijagnostičkih postupaka i mjera ishoda u bolesnika s križoboljom.
Summary

Objective. To develop national guidelines for classification, diagnosis and outcome measures in low back pain. Methods. A systematic literature review and evaluation by a multidisciplinary panel, and recommendations formulated using the GRADE method, a voting and consensus process. Results. Twenty three recommendations were defined, of which 14 are strongly recommended and nine are conditionally recommended. Strong recommendations relate to the standard definition of low back pain, classification of low back pain according to duration into acute (<6 weeks), subacute (6–12 weeks), and chronic low back pain (>12 weeks), with the additional term “breaking pain / acute exacerbation of chronic low back pain”, etiological classification into nonspecific low back pain and specific low back pain (including that associated with serious conditions), and low back pain with radiculopathy, where the term “lumboischialgia” can also be used, history and clinical assessment as the basis for establishing the initial diagnosis and treatment approach, warning signs of serious pathology being taken into account in the acute and subacute phases of low back pain. Also strongly recommended are: the uselessness of laboratory tests for the evaluation of non-specific low back pain (although they may be useful in differential diagnosis), the absence of an indication for the use of imaging diagnostics in acute low back pain, and the absence of “red flags”, recommendation for imaging methods in case of suspicion of serious pathology within the specific causes of low back pain, use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (if MRI is contraindicated) if invasive/surgical intervention is being considered, and imaging diagnostics may be regarded as in the case of significant disability due to chronic low back pain (after three months), while there is no indication for its repeating if there is no change in symptoms. Electromyography (EMG) is not recommended in acute low back
pain, but can be done in the case of long-term and pronounced subacute/chronic low back pain with radiculopathy. It is also strongly recommended that outcome measures, especially patient-reported outcomes, should be standard clinical practice. The instruments for assessing pain intensity are the visual analogue scale (VAS) and the numerical pain scale (NRS). Conclusion. Strong and conditional recommendations have been defined on the classification, importance of diagnostic procedures, and outcome measures in patients with low back pain.

Volumen: 9-10, 2025

Liječ Vjesn 2025;147:317–337

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