Khan I, Bydon M, Archer KR, et al. - Via a retrospective analysis that prospectively obtained data from the lumbar module of national spine registry, the Quality Outcomes Database, researchers examined the factors correlated with return to work (RTW) in individuals who obtained otherwise favorable outcomes following lumbar spine surgery. At 1-year postsurgery, 10,604 of 12,435 patients had successful RTW. A total of 605 among patients who accomplished good surgical outcomes, failed to RTW. For both the overall and subgroup analysis, lower odds of RTW were noted in elderly patients. In comparison with males, females had lower odds of RTW and patients with greater back pain and baseline Oswestry disability index had lower odds of RTW. Patients with longer span of symptoms, more physically requiring occupations, worker's compensation claim and those who had short-term disability leave at the time of surgery had lower odds of RTW sovereign of their good surgical outcomes. Therefore, this study recognizes specific risk factors for failure to RTW independent of surgical outcomes. Most of these risk factors are occupational and henceforth, involving the patient's employer in the treatment process and setting pragmatic expectations may aid to enhance the patients' work-associated functionality.