MicroRNA-223 demonstrated experimentally in exosome-like vesicles is associated with decreased risk of persistent pain after lumbar disc herniation

Table 2 Characteristics of patients grouped in recovery and persistent pain group

	Recovery group n = 50	Persistent pain group n = 47	p value
Gender, men/women (%)	22/28 (44/56)	18/29 (38/62)	n.s^a
Mean age (min–max)	40 (22–58)	42 (21–59)	n.s^b
Current smoker, yes/no (%)	15/35 (30/70)	19/28 (40/60)	n.s^a
Treatment, surgery/conservative (%)	23/27 (46/54)	13/34 (28/72)	<0.05^a

The recovery group was defined by a reduction in VAS (VAS inclusion—VAS 12 months) >2.0, whereas the persistent pain group was defined by a reduction in VAS (VAS inclusion—VAS 12 months) <2.0
n.s not significant
^aPearson Chi square
^bUnpaired Student’s t test

ISSN: 1479-5876