Welcome to this month's Spinal Columns. In this issue, work involving Alison Rushton looks at care and recovery across different spinal conditions. One study presents the first international consensus on returning to sports and physical activity for an individual with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis following spinal fusion surgery. This edition also reviews patient satisfaction with advanced practice physiotherapy internationally, identifying specific human and system attributes connected to the care experience. Finally, we feature a protocol for a future study that will explore how patients experience advanced practice physiotherapy within low back pain care pathways in Canada and the United Kingdom.

There is a lack of consistent guidance for adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis on how to return to physical activity after spinal fusion surgery. To address this, researchers conducted a multi-round study asking international expert surgeons and physiotherapists to build agreement on rehabilitation practices.

Low back pain is a leading cause of disability, yet the experience of patients receiving advanced practice physiotherapy within specialized care pathways has not been studied. To explore this subject, researchers will conduct a multiple case-study in Canada and the United Kingdom, gathering data from patients and physiotherapists using questionnaires and interviews.

Although advanced practice physiotherapy is used internationally, no comprehensive evidence synthesis of patient satisfaction with this type of care exists. To evaluate this, researchers conducted a systematic mixed studies review, searching key databases and grey literature for relevant studies.