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Background: Psychosexual factors are one of the preoperative factors influencing acute postoperative pain. Because of gender differences in pain, the preoperative factors that influence acute postoperative pain may also differ between males and females. However, there have been no reports on such factors in patients with spinal disorders that focused on gender differences. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the preoperative factors that influence acute postoperative pain, focusing on gender differences., Methods: The subjects were 75 males and 60 females admitted for surgery for lumbar spinal disorders. Preoperatively, the following were assessed: low back pain using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS); anxiety and depression using the Japanese version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS); catastrophic thinking using the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS); psychiatric problems using the Brief Scale for Psychiatric Problems in Orthopaedic Patients (BS-POP); and neurological assessments. Acute postoperative pain was also assessed using the NRS within 48 h, postoperatively. Based on these data, we analyzed gender differences in preoperative factors affecting acute postoperative pain in patients with lumbar spinal disorders., Results: Postoperative NRS and preoperative PCS scores were higher in females compared to males. In the males, the coefficient of determination of the multiple regression equation was 0.088, and PCS (β = 0.323, p = 0.015) was extracted as a significant factor. In the females, the coefficient of determination of the multiple regression equation was 0.075, and BS-POP (β = 0.300, p = 0.019) was extracted as a significant factor., Conclusion: Preoperative factors influencing acute postoperative pain for patients with lumbar spinal disorders vary by gender. It was suggested that males should be screened using PCS. In females, on the other hand, PCS alone is not sufficient for evaluation. It was suggested that evaluation using BS-POP should be considered in addition to PCS., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Japanese Orthopaedic Association. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Psychosocial distress (the presence of yellow flags) has been linked to poor outcomes in spine surgery. The Core Yellow Flags Index (CYFI), a short instrument assessing the 4 main yellow flags, was developed for use in patients undergoing lumbar spine surgery. This study evaluated its ability to predict outcome in patients undergoing cervical spine surgery., Methods: Patients with degenerative spinal disorders (excluding myelopathy) operated in one centre, from 2015 to 2019, were asked to complete the CYFI at baseline and the Core Outcome Measures Index (COMI) at baseline and 3 and 12 months after surgery. The relationship between CYFI and COMI scores at baseline as well as the predictive ability of the CYFI on the COMI follow-up scores were tested using structural equation modelling., Results: From 731 eligible patients, 547 (61.0 ± 12.5 years; 57.2% female) completed forms at all three timepoints. On a cross-sectional basis, preoperative CYFI and COMI scores were highly correlated (β = 0.54, in men and 0.51 in women; each p < 0.001). CYFI added significantly and independently to the prediction of COMI at 3 months' FU in men (β = 0.36) and 12 months' FU in men and women (both β = 0.20) (all p < 0.001)., Conclusion: The CYFI had a low to moderate but significant and independent association with cervical spine surgery outcomes. Implementing the CYFI in the preoperative workup of these patients could help refine outcome predictions and better manage patient expectations., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Study Design: Retrospective review., Objectives: To evaluate (1) patient satisfaction after adult spine surgery; (2) associations between the number of abnormal PROMIS domain scores and postoperative satisfaction; and (3) associations between the normalization of a patient's worst preoperative PROMIS domain score and postoperative satisfaction., Summary of Background Data: Although "legacy" patient-reported outcome measures correlate with patient satisfaction after adult spine surgery, it is unclear whether PROMIS scores do., Materials and Methods: We included 1119 patients treated operatively for degenerative spine disease (DSD) or adult spinal deformity (ASD) from 2014 to 2019 at our tertiary hospital who completed questionnaires preoperatively and at ≥1 postoperative time points up to two years. Postoperative satisfaction was measured in ASD patients using items 21 and 22 from the SRS 22-revised questionnaire and in DSD patients using the NASS Patient Satisfaction Index. The "Worst" preoperative PROMIS domain was that with the greatest clinically negative deviation from the mean. "Normalization" was a postoperative score within 1 SD of the general population mean. Multivariate logistic regression identified factors associated with satisfaction., Results: Satisfaction was reported by 88% of DSD and 86% of ASD patients at initial postoperative follow-up; this proportion did not change during the first year after surgery. We observed an inverse relationship between postoperative satisfaction and the number of abnormal PROMIS domains at all postoperative time points beyond 6 weeks. Only among ASD patients was normalization of the worst preoperative PROMIS domain associated with greater odds of satisfaction at all time points up to one year., Conclusion: The proportion of DSD and ASD patients satisfied postoperatively did not change from six weeks to 1 year. Normalizing the worst preoperative PROMIS domain and minimizing the number of abnormal postoperative PROMIS scores may reduce the number of dissatisfied patients. PROMIS data can guide perioperative patient management to improve satisfaction., Level of Evidence: Level-3., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: This study aims to test the reliability and validity of the translated Arabic version of EQ-5D-5 L., Methods: The study was conducted on 100 patients operated upon for degenerative spine diseases coming for follow up in the outpatient clinic of a Tertiary care hospital. Test-retest reliability was assessed by completing the self-administered tool in two follow up visits, one week apart, by 50 patients. Internal consistency was evaluated by Cronbach's alpha. Intra-class correlation coefficients and kappa statistics were performed to test for the agreement between the two ratings. Criterion validity was assessed by comparing the responses of 100 patients to the EQ-5D-5 L with scores of two validated questionnaires; the Arabic version of the Oswestry disability index and the Arabic version of short-form health survey-36. The construct validity was assessed using known-groups comparison to test for hypothesized differences concerning demographic and clinical variables., Results: The Arabic version of EQ-5D-5 L questionnaire had a high reliability with high observed internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.816, CI: 0.719-0.886). It showed strong temporal stability, with ICCs of the EQ-5D-5 L score, index and EQ-visual analog scale (EQ-VAS) of 0.852, 0.801, and 0.839 respectively. Agreement by kappa was moderate; above 0.4, for all domains, except for the "Usual activities" domain. EQ-5D-5 L domains, VAS and index had moderate to strong significant correlations with SF-36 and ODI subscales and total scores in the correct direction indicating a good criterion validity of the instrument., Conclusion: The Arabic version of EQ-5D-5 L is reliable and valid for assessment of HRQoL of Arabic speaking patients., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Study Design: Prospective cohort study., Objective: This study determined (1) the surgeon accuracy of psychological assessment in patients in spine clinic, (2) the impact of psychological distress on surgical recommendation, and (3) the correlation between patient-reported disability and psychological distress., Summary of Background Data: Psychological distress is common among patients presenting for spine surgery. Surgeon estimations of patients' distress may influence treatment recommendations, but little is known as to whether these assessments accurately mirror patient-perceived psychological distress., Materials and Methods: A sample of new patients was recruited from an academic spine center. Prior to their initial consultation, patients completed the Modified Somatic Perception Questionnaire and Zung Depression Index to assess mental and physical manifestations of distress, which generated a Distress and Risk Assessment Method (DRAM) score of N (normal), R (at risk), or D (distressed). The Oswestry Disability Index and Neck Disability Index scores were also collected. Surgeons provided their estimates of the DRAM score after the visit and indicated their surgery recommendation., Results: Of 296 patients, 40.5% reported some level of psychological distress (DRAM=R) and 15.9% had a high level of distress (DRAM=D). All three surgeons' ability to accurately assess the participant DRAM score was poor, with an overall kappa of 0.13 (0.08-0.18), biased toward underestimating the patient's true level of psychological distress. Patients rated as normal (N) by the surgeon were 3.78 times more likely to be recommended for surgery compared to those assessed as distressed (D) ( P =0.007). Patients with higher DRAM scores had higher Oswestry Disability Index ( P =0.008) and Neck Disability Index ( P =0.005) scores compared to those with lower DRAM scores., Conclusions: Spine surgeons have limited ability to detect psychological profiles in patients, with a tendency to underestimate levels of distress. The finding that these inaccurate assessments influence surgical recommendations underscores the importance of limiting surgeon bias in the decision-making process., Level of Evidence: Diagnostic Level 2., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Importance: Low back and neck pain are often self-limited, but health care spending remains high., Objective: To evaluate the effects of 2 interventions that emphasize noninvasive care for spine pain., Design, Setting, and Participants: Pragmatic, cluster, randomized clinical trial conducted at 33 centers in the US that enrolled 2971 participants with neck or back pain of 3 months' duration or less (enrollment, June 2017 to March 2020; final follow-up, March 2021)., Interventions: Participants were randomized at the clinic-level to (1) usual care (n = 992); (2) a risk-stratified, multidisciplinary intervention (the identify, coordinate, and enhance [ICE] care model that combines physical therapy, health coach counseling, and consultation from a specialist in pain medicine or rehabilitation) (n = 829); or (3) individualized postural therapy (IPT), a postural therapy approach that combines physical therapy with building self-efficacy and self-management (n = 1150)., Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcomes were change in Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) score at 3 months (range, 0 [best] to 100 [worst]; minimal clinically important difference, 6) and spine-related health care spending at 1 year. A 2-sided significance threshold of .025 was used to define statistical significance., Results: Among 2971 participants randomized (mean age, 51.7 years; 1792 women [60.3%]), 2733 (92%) finished the trial. Between baseline and 3-month follow-up, mean ODI scores changed from 31.2 to 15.4 for ICE, from 29.3 to 15.4 for IPT, and from 28.9 to 19.5 for usual care. At 3-month follow-up, absolute differences compared with usual care were -5.8 (95% CI, -7.7 to -3.9; P < .001) for ICE and -4.3 (95% CI, -5.9 to -2.6; P < .001) for IPT. Mean 12-month spending was $1448, $2528, and $1587 in the ICE, IPT, and usual care groups, respectively. Differences in spending compared with usual care were -$139 (risk ratio, 0.93 [95% CI, 0.87 to 0.997]; P = .04) for ICE and $941 (risk ratio, 1.40 [95% CI, 1.35 to 1.45]; P < .001) for IPT., Conclusions and Relevance: Among patients with acute or subacute spine pain, a multidisciplinary biopsychosocial intervention or an individualized postural therapy intervention, each compared with usual care, resulted in small but statistically significant reductions in pain-related disability at 3 months. However, compared with usual care, the biopsychosocial intervention resulted in no significant difference in spine-related health care spending and the postural therapy intervention resulted in significantly greater spine-related health care spending at 1 year., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03083886.

Background: Patient satisfaction has become an important variable in assessing outcomes after spine surgery. Although minimally invasive surgery (MIS) techniques have become popular owing to reduced perioperative complications compared with open deformity surgery, whether patient-reported postoperative satisfaction differ between the 2 surgical approaches is unclear. The aim of this study was to characterize postoperative patient-reported outcomes (PRO) in patients who underwent open surgery or MIS for adult spinal deformity (ASD)., Methods: PRO scores were prospectively collected for patients undergoing deformity correction surgery between 2016 and 2018. Inclusion criteria were age >18 years, ASD, and completed PRO surveys. Patient demographic, clinical, and radiographic data and PRO survey responses were analyzed. A post hoc analysis comparing patients who were satisfied with their outcome and those who were unsatisfied was performed., Results: Forty patients who underwent operative management of ASD (19 in the open surgery group and 21 in the MIS group) met the criteria for inclusion in this study. Patients in the MIS group reported higher mental health and self-image scores at 6 months; however, at the 12-month follow-up, both the open surgery and MIS groups reported minimal clinically important differences in back pain, leg pain, and functional status. Patient satisfaction scores did not differ based on surgical approach or intraoperative complications., Conclusions: PRO after open surgery and after MIS for ASD reflected successful outcomes with significant improvements in PRO survey scores but with subtle differences in the postoperative recovery process. The MIS group reported faster recovery with earlier improvement in self-image and mental health scores, which may stem from correction of smaller deformities. At the 12-month follow-up, postoperative satisfaction was high for the majority of patients in both groups., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore older adults' illness representations, their beliefs about health, and their coping perceptions of chronic spinal disability., Methods: This qualitative descriptive study used structured interviews that were completed during a randomized trial of non-pharmacological management of spine-related disability with chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy and exercise. Dual coders conducted a descriptive thematic analysis of 50 randomly selected transcripts supported by qualitative data management software. The Common-Sense Model provided an organizing framework for coding and interpretation., Results: Fifty participants (34 women, median age: 68 years) described 4 illness representations, 4 coping styles, and 6 coping strategies for their management of spinal disability. Illness representations formed a continuum of little-to-no health impact to bothersome symptoms to heightened symptom intensity to unmanaged pain and/or disability. Most participants adopted either self-care or self-management coping styles, but some used healthcare-seeking or fear avoidance with worsening symptoms or interference with employment or preferred activities. Participants mentioned 6 coping strategies for spinal disability. Distraction included position changes, hobbies, and supportive relationships. Limitation focused on rest and/or relaxation, restricted movements, and activity modifications. Prevention enhanced self-care knowledge, posture and/or ergonomics, nutrition, and stress management. Movement emphasized stretching, home exercise and/or walking, and exercise therapy. Palliation augmented patient comfort through the use of heat and/or ice, over-the-counter medicine, and spinal manipulation. Avoidance strategies included missing employment, stopping house and/or yard work, and prescription medication., Conclusion: The community-dwelling older adults in this study offered varied illness representations of their chronic spinal disability. Most participants combined and personalized coping strategies to minimize pain and symptom impact; thus, representations may influence the coping styles adopted by older persons to manage their spinal conditions. A quote from a participant that pain was "a thought in the back of my mind" suggests the presence of cognitive and emotional processes that may influence individual perceptions and feelings about their spinal symptoms or conditions. These findings suggest that there may be a broader role for spine care clinicians to include teaching older people about self-management strategies to better cope with spinal disabilities., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Study Design: A prospective cohort study., Objective: To assess the relationship of fear avoidance and demoralization on gait and balance and determine a threshold score for the Tampa Scale for Kinesophobia (TSK) and the Demoralization Scale (DS) that identifies spine patients with gait and balance dysfunction amplified by underlying psychological factors., Summary of Background Data: Fear avoidance and demoralization are crucial components of mental health that impact the outcomes in spine surgery. However, interpreting their effect on patient function remains challenging. Further establishing this correlation and identifying a threshold of severity can aid in identifying patients in whom a portion of their altered gait and balance may be amplified by underlying psychologic distress., Methods: Four hundred five symptomatic spine patients were given the TSK and DS questionnaires. Patient's gait and balance were tested with a human motion capture system. A TSK score of 41 and a DS score of 30 were chosen as thresholds to classify moderate versus severe dysfunction based on literature and statistical analysis., Results: Higher TSK and DS scores were correlated with worse walking speed (P < 0.001), longer stride time (P = 0.001), decreased stride length (P < 0.048), and wider step width (<0.001) during gait as well as increased sway across planes (P = 0.001) during standing balance. When classified by TSK scores >41, patients with more severe fear avoidance had slower walking speed (P < 0.001), longer stride time (P = 0.001), shorter stride length (P = 0.004), increased step width (P < 0.001), and increased sway (P = 0.001) compared with their lower scoring counterparts. Similarly, patients with DS > 30 had slower walking speed (P = 0.012), longer stride time (P = 0.022), and increased sway (P = 0.003) compared with their lower scoring counterparts., Conclusion: This study demonstrates that fear avoidance and demoralization directly correlate with worsening gait and balance. Furthermore, patients with TSK > 41 and DS > 30 have more underlying psychological factors that contribute to significantly worse function compared with lower scoring peers. Understanding this relationship and using these guidelines can help identify and treat patients whose gait dysfunction may be amplified by psychologic distress.Level of Evidence: 3., (Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Study Design: International, multicenter, prospective, longitudinal observational cohort., Objective: To assess how new motor deficits affect patient reported quality of life scores after adult deformity surgery., Summary of Background Data: Adult spinal deformity surgery is associated with high morbidity, including risk of new postoperative motor deficit. It is unclear what effect new motor deficit has on Health-related Quality of Life scores (HRQOL) scores., Methods: Adult spinal deformity patients were enrolled prospectively at 15 sites worldwide. Other inclusion criteria included major Cobb more than 80°, C7-L2 curve apex, and any patient undergoing three column osteotomy. American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) scores and standard HRQOL scores were recorded pre-op, 6 weeks, 6 months, and 2 years., Results: Two hundred seventy two complex adult spinal deformity (ASD) patients enrolled. HRQOL scores were worse for patients with lower extremity motor score (LEMS). Mean HRQOL changes at 6 weeks and 2 years compared with pre-op for patients with motor worsening were: ODI (+12.4 at 6 weeks and -4.7 at 2 years), SF-36v2 physical (-4.5 at 6 weeks and +2.3 at 2 years), SRS-22r (0.0 at 6 weeks and +0.4 at 2 years). Mean HRQOL changes for motor-neutral patients were: ODI (+0.6 at 6 weeks and -12.1 at 2 years), SF-36v2 physical (-1.6 at 6 weeks and +5.9 at 2 years), and SRS-22r (+0.4 at 6 weeks and +0.7 at 2 years). For patients with LEMS improvement, mean HRQOL changes were: ODI (-0.6 at 6 weeks and -16.3 at 2 years), SF-36v2 physical (+1.0 at 6 weeks and +7.0 at 2 years), and SRS-22r (+0.5 at 6 weeks and +0.9 at 2 years)., Conclusion: In the subgroup of deformity patients who developed a new motor deficit, total HRQOLs and HRQOL changes were negatively impacted. Patients with more than 2 points of LEMS worsening had the worst changes, but still showed overall HRQOL improvement at 6 months and 2 years compared with pre-op baseline.Level of Evidence: 3., (Copyright © 2020 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Study Design: Longitudinal cohort., Objective: The aims of this study were to measure concordance between patients' and surgeons' preoperative expectations of lumbar surgery, and determine which member of the dyad more closely predicted fulfillment of expectations, defined as patient-reported status postoperatively., Summary of Background Data: Concordant patient-surgeon expectations reflect effective communication and should foster better outcomes., Methods: Preoperatively patients and surgeons completed identical surveys measuring expectations for improvement in symptoms and physical/psychosocial function. Responses ranged from "complete improvement" to "do not have this expectation"; scores for each survey ranged from 0 to 100 (greatest expectations). Concordance between pairs of patient-surgeon scores was measured with the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Postoperatively, fulfillment of expectations was measured from patient-reported amount of improvement received and was calculated as the proportion of patient-reported postoperative score relative to patient-reported preoperative score, and surgeon-reported preoperative score (range 0 [no expectations fulfilled] to >1.2 [expectations surpassed]). Clinical measures included patient-reported spine-related disability., Results: For 402 patient-surgeon pairs, mean survey scores were 73 ± 19 (patients) and 57 ± 16 (surgeons); 84% of patients had higher scores than surgeons, mainly due to expecting complete improvement, whereas surgeons expected a lot/moderate/little improvement. The ICC for the entire sample was .31 (fair agreement); for subgroups, the greatest difference in ICC was for patients with more spine-related disability (ICC = .10, 95% confidence interval [CI]:0.00-0.23) versus less disability (ICC = .46, 95% CI: 0.34-0.56). 96% of patients were contacted ≥2.0 years postoperatively. Proportions of expectations fulfilled were 0.79 (0-3.00) (patients) and 1.01 (0-2.29) (surgeons). Thus patients were less likely to anticipate subsequent postoperative status (odds ratio [OR] 0.34, 95% CI 0.25-0.45) versus surgeons who were more likely to anticipate patient-reported postoperative status (OR 2.98, 95% CI: 2.22-4.00)., Conclusion: Concordance between patients' and surgeons' expectations was fair; due mostly to patients expecting complete improvement whereas surgeons expected a lot/moderate/little improvement. Compared to patients' expectations, surgeons' expectations more closely coincided with patient-reported fulfillment of expectations 2 years postoperatively.Level of Evidence: 1., (Copyright © 2020 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Study Design: A prospective observational study., Objective: This study was done to examine the influence of hand grip strength (HGS) on surgical outcomes of adult spinal deformity (ASD) patients., Summary of Background Data: No study has investigated the relation between hand grip strength and treatment outcome of adult spinal deformity correction surgery., Methods: A total of 78 consecutive patients who underwent adult spinal deformity correction surgery were included in this study. Patients were assigned to either the high HGS (≥ 26 kg for men and ≥ 18 kg for women, n = 26) or the low HGS (< 26 kg for men and < 18 kg for women, n = 52) based on their preoperative measurements. The Oswestry disability index (ODI), EQ-5D, and visual analog scale (VAS) for back pain were assessed preoperatively, and 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months postoperatively. The primary outcome measure was ODI scores 12 months after surgery. The secondary outcome measures included the overall ODI scores, EQ-5D, and VAS for back pain, assessed at each time point during the 12-months follow-up., Results: The ODI score at 12 months after surgery was significantly lower in the high HGS group than the low HGS group (P < 0.001), which was best predicted by a multivariate regression model including age, gender, BMI, HGS, and preoperative ODI scores. The overall ODI score, EQ-5D, and VAS for back pain had better outcomes in the high HGS group across each follow-up assessment (P < 0.001 for all follow-ups), while they improved significantly with time after surgery in both groups., Conclusions: Patients with higher preoperative HGS displayed better surgical outcomes, in terms of disability and health-related quality of life at 12 months after reconstructive spinal surgery for ASD., Level of Evidence: 2.

Objectives: To investigate the feasibility and acceptability of telemedicine as a substitute for outpatient services in emergency situations such as the sudden surge of the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy., Design: Observational cohort study with historical control., Setting: Tertiary referral outpatient institute., Participants: Consecutive services provided to patients with spinal disorders (N=1207)., Interventions: Telemedicine services included teleconsultations and telephysiotherapy, and lasted as long as usual interventions. They were delivered using free teleconference apps, caregivers were actively involved, and interviews and counseling were performed as usual. Teleconsultations included standard, but adapted, measurements and evaluations by video and from photographs and videos sent in advance according to specific tutorials. During telephysiotherapy, new sets of exercises were defined and recorded as usual., Main Outcome Measures: We compared the number of services provided in 3 phases, including corresponding periods in 2018 and 2019. During the control (30 working d) and COVID-19 surge (13d) only usual consultations and physiotherapy were provided; during the telemed phase (15d), only teleconsultations and telephysiotherapy were provided. If a reliable medical decision was not possible during teleconsultations, usual face-to-face interventions were prescribed. Continuous quality improvement questionnaires were also evaluated., Results: During telemed, 325 teleconsulations and 882 telephysiotherapy sessions were provided in 15 days. We found a rapid decrease (-39%) of outpatient services from the control to the COVID-19 phase (R 2 =0.85), which partially recovered in the telemed phase for telephysiotherapy (from -37% to -21%; P<.05) and stabilized for teleconsultation (from -55% to -60%) interventions. Usual face-to-face interventions were required for 0.5% of patients. Patients' satisfaction with telemedicine was very high (2.8 out of 3)., Conclusions: Telemedicine is feasible and allows medical professionals to continue providing outpatient services with a high level of patient satisfaction. During the current pandemic, this experience can provide a viable alternative for many outpatient services while reducing the need for travel and face-to-face contact to a minimum., (Copyright © 2020 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Changing Behavior through Physical Therapy (CBPT), a cognitive-behavioral-based program, has been shown to improve outcomes after lumbar spine surgery in patients with a high psychosocial risk profile; however, little is known about potential mechanisms associated with CBPT treatment effects. The purpose of this study was to explore potential mediators underlying CBPT efficacy after spine surgery., Methods: In this secondary analysis, 86 participants were enrolled in a randomized trial comparing a postoperative CBPT (n = 43) and education program (n = 43). Participants completed validated questionnaires at 6 weeks (baseline) and 3 and 6 months following surgery for back pain (Brief Pain Inventory), disability (Oswestry Disability Index), physical health (12-Item Short-Form Health Survey), fear of movement (Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia), pain catastrophizing (Pain Catastrophizing Scale), and pain self-efficacy (Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire). Parallel multiple mediation analyses using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) were conducted to examine whether 3- and 6-month changes in fear of movement, pain catastrophizing, and pain self-efficacy mediate treatment outcome effects at 6 months., Results: Six-month changes, but not 3-month changes, in fear of movement and pain self-efficacy mediated postoperative outcomes at 6 months. Specifically, changes in fear of movement mediated the effects of CBPT treatment on disability (indirect effect = -2.0 [95% CI = -4.3 to 0.3]), whereas changes in pain self-efficacy mediated the effects of CBPT treatment on physical health (indirect effect = 3.5 [95% CI = 1.2 to 6.1])., Conclusions: This study advances evidence on potential mechanisms underlying cognitive-behavioral strategies. Future work with larger samples is needed to establish whether these factors are a definitive causal mechanism., Impact: Fear of movement and pain self-efficacy may be important mechanisms to consider when developing and testing psychologically informed physical therapy programs., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Physical Therapy Association. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Purpose: As the most poorly tolerated and debilitating form of spinal malalignment, sagittal imbalance is becoming an increasingly recognized cause of pain and disability in adults. However, there is evidence showing that sagittal imbalance has a weak or no correlation with health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) outcomes. The objective of this study was to describe the direct factor associated with HRQoL in terms of Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) assessment., Patients and Methods: This study retrospectively evaluated the clinical and radiographic information of 179 elderly patients with degenerative lumbar disorders and suboptimal sagittal standing posture (sagittal vertical axis>50 mm). Patient-reported outcomes were assessed using ODI. Patients with ODI≥40% were assigned to Group D (disability), while those with ODI<40% were assigned to Group ND (non-disability)., Results: Compared with Group ND (n=104), patients in Group D (n=75) had greater thoracolumbar kyphosis, pelvic incidence-lumbar lordosis (PI-LL), sagittal vertical axis (SVA), T1 pelvic angle, and fat infiltration, and smaller LL and muscle mass ratio. Pearson analysis revealed a high correlation between the percentage of fat infiltrated and ODI (r=768, P <0.01) and moderate correlation between SVA and ODI (r=0.408, P <0.001). Linear regression results indicated that fat infiltration was an independent factor associated with ODI. ODI significantly correlated with SVA in patients with major fat infiltration (r=0.328, P =0.001), while having no correlation with SVA in those with moderate or minor fat infiltration (r=0.083, P =0.464)., Conclusion: Lumbar muscle fat infiltration is an independent factor associated with the living quality in terms of ODI assessment in the elderly population with degenerative lumbar disorders, which has more correlations with ODI scores than the sagittal imbalance. The relationship between HRQoL outcomes and sagittal imbalance depends on the quality of lumbar muscle., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare for this work., (© 2020 Zhu et al.)

Study Design: Retrospective analysis of outcomes in single-level spine and primary hip and knee arthroplasty patients., Objective: The aim of this study was to compare baseline and postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing spine surgery procedures with total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) to further define outcomes in orthopedic surgery., Summary of Background Data: Computer-adaptive Patient Reported Outcome Information System (PROMIS) allows for standardized assessment of the health-related quality of life across different disease states., Methods: Patients who underwent spine surgery (anterior cervical discectomy and fusion, cervical disc replacement, lumbar laminectomy, microscopic lumbar discectomy, transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion or adult reconstruction surgery [THA, TKA]) were grouped. Mean Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), Baseline (BL), and 6-month PROMIS scores of physical function, pain interference, and pain intensity were determined. Paired t tests compared differences in CCI, BL, 6 months, and change in PROMIS scores for spine and adult reconstruction procedures., Results: A total of 304 spine surgery patients (age = 58.1 ± 15.6; 42.9% female) and 347 adult reconstruction patients (age = 62.9 ± 11.8; 54.1% Female) were compared. Spine surgery groups had more disability and pain at baseline than adult reconstruction patients according to physical function ([21.0, 22.2, 9.07, 12.6, 10.4] vs. [35.8, 35.0], respectively, P < 0.01), pain interference ([80.1, 74.1, 89.6, 92.5, 90.6] vs. [64.0, 63.9], respectively, P < 0.01), and pain intensity ([53.0, 53.1, 58.3, 58.5, 56.1] vs. [53.4, 53.8], respectively, P < 0.01). At 6 months, spine surgery patients remained more disabled and had more pain compared to adult reconstruction patients. Over the 6-month timespan, spine patients experienced greater improvements than adult reconstruction patients in terms of physical function ([+8.7, +22.2, +9.7, +12.9, +12.1] vs. [+5.3, +3.9], respectively, P < 0.01) and pain interference scores ([-15.4,-28.1, -14.7, -13.1, -12.3] vs. [-8.3, -6.0], respectively, P < 0.01)., Conclusion: Spinal surgery patients had lower BL and 6-month PROMIS scores, but greater relative improvement in PROMIS scores compared to adult reconstruction patients., Level of Evidence: 3.

Objective: The analysis of perioperative electronic patient portal (EPP) communication may provide risk stratification and insight for complication prevention in patients with affective disorders (ADs). We aimed to understand how patterns of EPP communication in patients with AD relate to preoperative narcotic use, surgical outcomes, and readmission rates., Methods: The records of adult patients who underwent elective spinal surgery between January 2010 and August 2017 at a single institution were retrospectively reviewed for analysis. Primary outcomes included preoperative narcotic use, the number of perioperative EPP messages sent, rates of perioperative complications, hospital length of stay, emergency department (ED) visits within 6 weeks, and readmissions within 30 days after surgery., Results: A total of 1199 patients were included in the analysis. Patients with an AD were more likely to take narcotics before surgery (51.69% vs. 41%, P < 0.001) and to have active EPP accounts (75.36% vs. 69.75%, P = 0.014) compared with controls. They were also more likely to send postoperative messages (38.89% vs. 32.75%, P = 0.030) and tended to send more messages (0.67 vs. 0.48, P = 0.034). The AD group had higher rates of postoperative complications (8.21% vs. 3.98%, P = 0.001), ED visits (4.99% vs. 2.43%, P = 0.009), and readmissions postoperatively (2.49% vs. 1.38%, P = 0.049)., Conclusions: AD patients have specific patterns of perioperative EPP communication. They are at a higher risk of postoperative complications. Addressing these concerns early may prevent more serious morbidity and avoid unnecessary ED visits and readmissions, thus reducing costs and improving patient care., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Study Design: A multicenter retrospective case series., Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes of a surgical treatment for adult spinal deformity (ASD) in the United States (US) with those in Japan (JP) in a matched cohort., Summary of Background Data: Surgical outcomes of thoracic-lumbar-sacral (TLS) spinal fusions in adult spinal deformity ASD patients who live in Asian countries are poorly understood., Methods: A total of 300 surgically treated ASDs of age more than 50 years with the lowest instrumented vertebra at the pelvis and a minimum follow-up of 2 years (2y) were consecutively included. Patients were propensity-score matched for age, sex, levels fused, and 2y postop sagittal spinal alignment. Demographic, surgical, and radiographic parameters were compared between the US and JP groups., Results: A total of 186 patients were matched by propensity score and were almost identical within these parameters: age (US vs. JP: 66 ± 8 vs. 65 ± 7 yr), sex (females: 90% vs. 89%), levels fused (10 ± 3 vs. 10 ± 2), 2y C7 sagittal vertical axis (C7SVA) (5 ± 5 vs. 5 ± 4 cm), 2y Pelvic incidence minus lumbar lordosis (9 ± 15° vs. 9 ± 15°), and 2y pelvic tilt (PT) (25 ± 10° vs. 24 ± 10°). Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores and Scoliosis Research Society patient questionnaire ((SRS-22) function and pain scores were similar at 2y between the US and JP groups (ODI: 27 ± 19% vs. 28 ± 14%, P = 0.72; SRS-22 function: 3.6 ± 0.9 vs. 3.6 ± 0.7, P = 0.54; SRS-22 pain: 3.6 ± 1.0 vs. 3.8 ± 0.8, P = 0.11). However, significantly lower satisfaction was observed in JP than in the US (SRS-22 satisfaction: 4.3 ± 0.9 vs. 4.0 ± 0.8, P < 0.01)., Conclusion: Surgical treatment for ASD was similarly effective in patients in the US and in JP. However, satisfaction scores were lower in JP compared with the US. Differences in lifestyle and cultural expectations may impact patient satisfaction following ASD surgery., Level of Evidence: 3.

We aimed to identify independent psychological predictors of quality of life (QOL) and functional outcome after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) for degenerative cervical spine disease. We prospectively included patients undergoing ACDF for degenerative cervical disc herniation and stenosis. Patients completed a structured psychological assessment including the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (ADS-K), Post-Traumatic Stress Scale-10 (PTSS-10), State Trait Anxiety Inventory-State Anxiety and - Trait Anxiety (STAI-S and STAI-T) and Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3 (ASI-3) before surgery, after 3 and 12 months. Outcome measures included EuroQol-5D (EQ), Short Form-36 (SF-36) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores. Of 104 included patients who underwent ACDF between March 2013 and November 2017, 92 completed follow-up after 3 and 12 months. The mean Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores for neck pain (- 1.4; p < .001) and arm pain (- 1.8; p = .031) significantly decreased by 12 months. QOL scores significantly increased by 3 months (EQ: + 0.2; p < .001; SF-36 PCS: + 6.2; p < .001; SF-36 MCS: + 2.5; p = .044), a benefit which was retained at 12 months. Linear regression analyses identified statistically significant predictors in preoperative ASI-3, SF-36 MCS and STAI-S for postoperative QOL and ODI scores. There is a benefit for patients in terms of quality of life and function after undergoing surgery for degenerative cervical spine disease. With the ASI-3, SF-36 MCS and STAI-S there exist some predictors for postoperative QOL and ODI scores.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study using prospectively collected data., Objective: Determine the association between satisfaction with physician communication and patient-reported outcomes in the inpatient spine surgery setting., Summary of Background Data: Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) surveys measure the patient experience of care and influence reimbursement for hospital systems and providers in the United States. It is not known whether patient satisfaction with physician communication is associated with better outcomes after spine surgery. Therefore, we evaluated the association between patient satisfaction with physician communication on the HCAHPS survey and improvements in validated patient-reported outcomes measures in a spine surgery population., Methods: HCAHPS responses were obtained for patients undergoing elective cervical or lumbar spine surgery from 2013 to 2015. Patient-reported health status measures were the primary outcomes, including EuroQol Five Dimensions (EQ-5D), Pain Disability Questionnaire (PDQ), and Visual Analog Scores for Back and Neck Pain (VAS-BP/NP). The association between satisfaction with communication and preoperative to 1 year postoperative changes in each health status measure was evaluated utilizing multivariable linear regression models., Results: Our study included 648 patients, of which, 479 (74.4%) created our satisfied cohort. Demographically, our two cohorts were similar with regards to preoperative clinical measures; however, the satisfied cohort had a higher self-rating of their mental health (P < 0.01), and overall health (P < 0.01). After adjusting for clinically relevant confounders, our results demonstrated no significant association between satisfaction with physician communication and improvement in EQ-5D (P = 0.312), PDQ (P = 0.498), or VAS pain scores (P = 0.592)., Conclusion: Patient satisfaction with physician communication was not associated with 1-year postoperative improvement in EQ-5D, PDQ, and VAS-Pain after spine surgery. These findings do not diminish the importance of effective communication between doctor and patient, but instead suggest that within the spine surgery setting, using only patient experience data may not accurately reflect the true quality of care received during their inpatient stay., Level of Evidence: 3.

Cervico-thoracic vertebral subluxation (CTVS) in sheep is a collective term that is used to describe various conditions that concomitantly affect the cervical and thoracic vertebrae, leading to their collapse. The aetiology and pathophysiology of CTVS remain unknown. The objective of this study was to conduct an epidemiological farm investigation and describe the clinicopathological findings of CTVS cases occurring in a flock of sheep; as well as to determine awareness of CTVS among sheep producers and ruminant veterinarians in Australia. Diagnostic imaging revealed severe deformities in the vertebrae between C6-C7 and T1-T3. Sheep affected with CTVS were at a four times higher risk of having low body condition scores (< 2 based on a 5-point scale) compared with non-affected sheep, OR = 3.98, 95% CI (1.20-12.65), p = .02. Survey results revealed that only 34% (15/44) of respondents were aware of CTVS. There is a need to further explore the aetiology and pathophysiology of CTVS, and the impact it has on sheep breeding and production., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Pain experience due to spinal degenerative disease decreases activity of daily living and quality of life. The present cross-sectional study was aimed at examining the sex-specific impact of pain severity, psychosocial factors, and insomnia on the disability due to chronic pain arising from spinal degenerative disease., Methods: In total, 111 outpatients with chronic spinal degenerative on initial diagnosis were analyzed. The definition of chronic spinal degenerative disease was (1) pain duration ≥3 months, (2) findings of nerve root compression on neurological examination and imaging, and (3) localized neck or lower back pain (not widespread, upper or lower limb pain). We used Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), Pain Disability Assessment Scale (PDAS), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), and Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) to assess patients. Univariate regression analysis was performed to investigate whether sex influences the PDAS score, and sex-stratified multivariate regression analysis was conducted to identify the variables associated with the PDAS score., Results: Sex was identified as a predictor of the PDAS score (standardized coefficient ( β ) = 0.28; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.10-0.46; p =0.003). In men, the AIS score was associated with PDAS ( β  = 0.36, 95% CI 0.09-0.63). Age ( β  = 0.31, 95% CI 0.06-0.55) and NRS ( β  = 0.40, 95% CI 0.14-0.67) were associated with PDAS in women. HADS-A, HADS-D, and PCS were not associated with PDAS in both sexes., Conclusion: Insomnia was associated with disability in men, whereas aging and pain severity were associated with disability in women. Catastrophic thinking was not associated with disability in both sexes., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Keito Koh et al.)

Study Design: A retrospective case-control study., Objectives: To explore the personal and physical factors influencing the decision of patients to opt for spinal surgery., Methods: The medical records of patients who attended the Spine Nurse Clinic of a hospital in Hong Kong in the year 2017 were retrieved and reviewed. Comparisons were made of the physical symptoms, myelopathy, sensory deficits, and level of disability of patients who decided to undergo spinal surgery (case) and those who did not (control)., Results: Among the 122 medical records that were reviewed, it was found that 102 (83.6%) patients decided to undergo spinal surgery (case) while 20 (16.4%) chose not to (control). The patients in the case group were more likely to be unemployed than those in the control group (67% vs. 35%, p = 0.01), to have higher scores in primary pain (4.75 vs. 2.6, p = 0.003), higher scores in radiated pain (4.4 vs. 2.55, p = 0.021), a higher level of disability as reflected in a higher Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) score (41.6 vs. 30.9, p = 0.021), and a lower Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score (13.7 vs. 15.6, p = 0.008). Point biserial correlation showed that exercise tolerance was associated with the decision to undergo the surgery. A multiple regression analysis of the factors predictive of the decision to opt for spinal surgery showed that these factors were: unemployment (OR = 5.42, 95% CI: 1.689-17.44, p = 0.005); severe primary pain (OR = 3.83, 95% CI: 1.241-11.832, p = 0.02); and the presence of radicular symptoms (OR = 5.372, 95% CI: 1.704-16.93, p = 0.004)., Conclusion: The results of this study showed that besides physical factors such as pain radiation and disability level, which influenced the decision of patients to take the surgical option, patients who were unemployed were also more likely to choose surgery. This indicates that patients were worried about the possible impact of surgery on their employment, or on their ability to continue to work. It is important that patients be given a clear picture of the expected outcomes of their surgery, and that the information needs of patients regarding the surgery be explored and addressed., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study., Objective: To assess nonresponder biases for the HCAHPS survey following spine surgery., Summary of Background Data: The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey is a publicly reported patient satisfaction survey. In addition to having the potential of impacting a hospital's reputation, it is directly linked to government reimbursement. However, it is known that a minority of patients return this survey, and it is expected that there are nonresponder biases., Methods: All adult inpatient spine surgery patients at a single institution between January 2013 and August 2017 at a single institution were selected for retrospective analysis. Patient demographics and perioperative outcomes were assessed as potential predictors of not returning HCAHPS surveys. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed., Results: Of 5517 spine surgeries analyzed, 1505 (27.3%) patients returned the HCAHPS survey. Response rate was variable based on patient characteristics (with statistically significant differences based on age, functional status, race, and American Society of Anesthesiologists score) but not variable based on anatomic region of the spine surgery. Multivariate analysis revealed that patients who did not return the HCAHPS survey were more likely to be black/African American (OR = 2.8, P < 0.001), have a higher American Society of Anesthesiologists score (OR 1.76, P < 0.001), and have had a major adverse event (OR = 1.66; P = 0.001), minor adverse event (OR = 2.50; P < 0.001), discharged to a destination other than home (OR = 2.16, P < 0.001), hospital readmission (OR = 2.58; P < 0.001), and a long hospital length of stay (OR = 1.28, P = 0.001)., Conclusion: For spine surgery patients, patient characteristics and perioperative outcomes were found to be significantly associated with the nonresponder bias for HCAHPS surveys. Although the potential resultant bias in HCAHPS scores cannot be directly determined, this must be considered in interpreting the results of such satisfaction surveys given that less than one-third of patients actually completed this survey in the study population., Level of Evidence: 3.

Objective: Postoperative delirium (POD) was common after spinal surgery, but the main findings in previous studies remained conflicting. This current meta-analysis was aimed at exploring the prevalence and risk factors of POD after spinal surgery., Methods: PubMed and Embase were searched from inception to June 2019. Studies which reported the prevalence and risk factors of POD after spinal surgery were included. STATA version 12.0 was employed to analyze the pooled data. Statistical heterogeneity across included studies was identified using the I 2 statistics., Results: A total of 28 studies with 588,732 patients were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of POD after spinal surgery was 0.85% (95%CI, 0.83-0.88%) with substantial heterogeneity (I 2 = 97.3%). The central nervous system disorder (OR 4.73; 95%CI, 4.30-5.19) was a strong predictor for POD, whereas age (OR 1.16; 95%CI, 1.05-2.47; I 2 = 99.2%) and blood loss (OR 1.10; 95%CI, 1.01-1.20; I 2 = 93.3%) were weaker predictors. The funnel plot and statistical tests suggested that there existed potential publication bias, but the trim and fill method indicated that the pooled prevalence basically kept stable after adding two "missing" studies., Conclusions: The pooled POD after spinal surgery ranges from 0.83 to 0.88%. The central nervous system disorder, age, and blood loss were potential risk factors for POD.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe the preoperative and postoperative experiences of spine surgery from the patient's perspective to help inform behavioral health services provided before, during, and after hospitalization., Setting: Single urban academic tertiary care hospital., Methods: Semistructured interviews with 14 adults who underwent spine surgery. Interview transcriptions were analyzed using content analysis by three investigators to identify emergent themes., Results: Three broad domains with associated themes emerged from the analysis: 1) preoperative experience-preparation, worries, and expectations; 2) recovery process-activity and pain management strategies; and 3) postoperative support in recovery-family and social support., Conclusions: The results of this qualitative descriptive study can be used to guide future perioperative behavioral health services for patients undergoing spinal surgery. Establishing realistic expectations of spine surgery and a comprehensive pain management plan are essential for adequate preoperative preparation. Furthermore, family involvement in the preoperative preparation for surgery is important for support of the patient during the recovery process., (© 2019 American Academy of Pain Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Study Design: Prospective cross-sectional case-control study design., Objective: This study aims to analyze the relation between balance control as well as health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with adult spinal deformity (ASD), with a novel gravity line (GL)-related 3D spinal alignment parameter, the transverse gravitational deviation index (TGDI), defined to quantify the transverse plane position of any vertebra with respect to the GL., Summary of Background Data: Demographic data and balance control have both been identified as important determinants of HRQOL in ASD patients during a preoperative setting. Therefore, a better understanding of the relation between spinal alignment and balance is required., Methods: After informed consent, 15 asymptomatic healthy volunteers (mean age 60.1 ± 11.6 years old) and 55 ASD patients (mean age 63.5 ± 10.1 years old) were included. Relation between performance on BESTest as well as core outcome measures index (COMI) with spinopelvic alignment was explored using General Linear Modeling (GLM). A P-value ≤0.05 was considered statistically significant., Results: The L3 TGDI was identified to relate to balance control in the total ASD population after correction for confounding demographic factors (P = 0.001; adjusted R = 0.500) and explained 19% of the observed variance in balance performance. In addition, COMI is related to L3 TGDI in a subgroup of ASD patients with combined coronal and sagittal malalignment of L3 (P = 0.027; slope B = 0.047), despite significant influence of age (P = 0.020)., Conclusion: In ASD patients with a combined coronal and sagittal malalignment of the L3 vertebra, both the level of balance impairment as well as HRQOL are related to the distance component of the L3 TGDI, that is, the offset between the center of the L3 vertebral body and the GL in the transverse plane., Level of Evidence: 2.

Background: Chronic musculoskeletal pain affects more than 20% of the population, and the prevalence is increasing, causing suffering, loss of quality of life, disability, and an enormous expenditure on healthcare resources. The most common location for chronic pain is the spine. Many of the treatments used are mainly passive (pharmacological and invasive) and poor outcomes. The treatments currently applied in the public health system do not comply with the recommendations of the main clinical practice guidelines, which suggest the use of educational measures and physical exercise as the first-line treatment. A protocol based on active coping strategies is described, which will be evaluated through a clinical trial and which could facilitate the transfer of the recommendations of the clinical practice guidelines to a primary care setting., Methods: Randomised and multicentre clinical trials, which will be carried out in 10 Primary Care centres. The trial will compare the effect of a Pain Neuroscience Education program (six sessions, 10 h) and group physical exercise (18 sessions program carried out in six weeks, 18 h), with usual care physiotherapy treatment. Group physical exercise incorporates dual tasks, gaming, and reinforcement of contents of the educational program. The aim is to assess the effect of the intervention on quality of life, as well as on pain, disability, catastrophism, kinesiophobia, central sensitisation, and drug use. The outcome variables will be measured at the beginning of the intervention, after the intervention (week 11), at six months, and a year., Discussion: Therapeutic interventions based on active coping strategies are essential for the treatment of chronic pain and the sustainability of the Public Health System. Demonstrating whether group interventions have an effect size is essential for optimising resources in such a prevalent problem., Trial Registration: NCT03654235 "Retrospectively registered" 31 August 2018.

Study Design: Observational cohort study., Objectives: To measure and compare the structural validity of the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and the Scoliosis Research Society-30 (SRS-30) questionnaire in an adult population with prolonged degenerative thoracolumbar disease., Summary of Background Data: The ODI and the SRS-30 are commonly used patient-reported outcome instruments to assess back-specific disability and symptoms related to scoliosis. Still, these instruments have not been validated for degenerative spinal disease with different stages of deformity., Methods: Altogether, 637 consecutive adult patients with degenerative spinal pathologies were included. The patients completed the ODI (version 2.0), the 23 preoperative items of the SRS-30, a general health survey, the Kasari Frequency Intensity Time (FIT) index, the Depression Scale (DEPS), the RAND-36, and visual analog scales for leg and back pain instruments. Psychometric statistical and illustrative analyses were conducted. Deformity groups were analyzed to assess how well the two instruments reflect deformity-related back problems., Results: Both instruments reflected good coverage and targeting. Correlation between the ODI and the SRS-30 was high (r = 0.70; p < .001). Both measures could distinguish between different general health states. The SRS-30 strongly reflected mental state and social well-being. The SRS-30 was less sensitive for pain and function. Furthermore, the principal component of pain/function explained more variance in the SRS-30 compared with the ODI score. The ODI was more sensitive for variance of disability among different age and deformity groups., Conclusions: Both the ODI and the the SRS-30 provide valid scores in evaluating health-related quality of life and/or level of disability among patients with prolonged degenerative thoracolumbar disease. The ODI has slightly higher correlation with physical functioning. The SRS-30 seems to be better when evaluating the emotional and psychological functions., Level of Evidence: Level III., (Copyright © 2019 Scoliosis Research Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Prospective patient-reported outcomes (PROs) registries are central to emerging evidence-driven reform models. These registries entail significant operator and responder burden to capture PROs data. It is important to limit the number of PROs administered. We sought to determine whether the anxiety/depression domain of EQ-5D could be used to define preoperative psychological distress in patients undergoing elective spine surgery., Methods: Patients undergoing elective spine surgery and enrolled into a prospective registry were analyzed. The 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey Mental Component Summary, Zung depression scale, Modified Somatic Perception Questionnaire, and EQ-5D were completed. The anxiety/depression domain of EQ-5D was used to define psychological distress; responses were captured as 1) not anxious or depressed, 2) moderately anxious or depressed, or 3) extremely anxious or depressed. Univariate correlation and proportional odds logistic regression analyses were conducted., Results: Of 2470 included patients undergoing elective spine surgery, 45% (n = 1109) reported no psychological distress, 47% (n = 1168) reported moderate psychological distress, and 8% (n = 193) reported extreme psychological distress on EQ-5D. Psychological distress on EQ-5D had positive correlation with Zung depression scale (P < 0.0001, r = 0.620) and Modified Somatic Perception Questionnaire (P < 0.0001, r = 0.450) and negative correlation with 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey Mental Component Summary (P < 0.0001, r = -0.662). In proportional odds logistic regression models, EQ-5D psychological distress had significant correlations with 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey Mental Component Summary (P < 0.0001, C-index = 0.831), Zung depression scale (P < 0.0001, C-index = 0.802), and Modified Somatic Perception Questionnaire (P < 0.0001, C-index = 0.711)., Conclusions: The anxiety/depression domain of EQ-5D could be used to categorize preoperative psychological distress. Spine registries could use this information to potentially limit the number of validated PROs administered., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To identify trends in mobility and daily pain levels among a cohort of patients with clinically diagnosed spine disease., Methods: Participants with spine disease were enrolled from a general neurosurgical clinic and installed a smartphone application (Beiwe) designed for digital phenotyping to their personal smartphone. This application collected passive meta-data on a minute-to-minute basis, including global positioning system (GPS), WiFi, accelerometer, text and telephone logs, and screen on and off time. The application also administered daily visual analog scale pain surveys. A linear mixed model framework was used to test for associations between self-reported pain and mobility and sociability from the passively collected data., Results: A total of 105 patients were enrolled, with a median follow-up time of 94.5 days; 55 patients underwent a surgical intervention during the follow-up period. The weekly pain survey response rate was 73.2%. By the end of follow-up, the mean change in pain for all patients was -1.3 points (4.96 at the start of follow-up to 3.66 by the end of follow-up). Increased pain was significantly associated with reduced patient mobility as measured using 3 daily GPS summary statistics (i.e., average flight length, maximum diameter travelled, total distance travelled)., Conclusions: Patients with spine disease who reported greater pain had reduced mobility, as measured by the passively collected smartphone GPS data. Smartphone-based digital phenotyping appears to be a promising and scalable approach to assess mobility and quality of life of patients with spine disease., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background Context: The Patient-Reported Outcomes Information System (PROMIS) instruments are an important advancement in the use of PROs, but need to be evaluated with longitudinal data to determine whether they are responsive to change in specific clinical populations., Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the responsiveness of the PROMIS Physical Function (PF), PROMIS Pain Interference (PI), Neck Disability Index (NDI), and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI)., Study Design/setting: This study entailed prospective data collection from consecutive patients aged 18 and older, visiting a university-based orthopaedic spine clinic between October 2013 and January 2017., Patient Sample: A total of 763 participants in the sample had a mean age of 58 (SD = 15) years and the sample was 50.2% male and 92.8% Caucasian., Outcome Measures: The PROMIS PF and PROMIS PI Computerized Adaptive Tests along with either the NDI or ODI instruments were administered on tablet computers before clinic visits. Global rating of change questions relating to pain and function levels was also administered., Methods: Baseline scores were compared with follow-up scores at four different time-points from 3-months to 6-months and beyond. Patient demographics, mean scores, paired-sample t tests, Standardized Response Mean (SRM), and Effect Size (ES) were analyzed to determine instrument responsiveness. This project was funded by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases of the National Institutes of Health under award number U01AR067138 and the authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., Results: The PROMIS instruments were strongly correlated with each other as well as with the NDI and ODI. Responsiveness was significant on all four instruments at every time-point assessed (paired sample t tests ranged from p < .001 to p = .049). SRM's were large and over 0.94 for every instrument at every time-point. Cohen's d ES were large and over 0.96 for all at all time-points, except for the NDI which had ES ranging from 0.74 to 0.83. This study showed large effect sizes and responsiveness of the PROMIS PF, PROMIS PI, NDI and ODI in a population of orthopaedic patients with spine pathologies., Conclusion: This study demonstrates strong responsiveness of the PROMIS PF and PROMIS PI in a spine clinic population., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The paper explores the concept of recovery; the unexpected material changes that occur to, and within bodies following acquired spinal conditions. The phrase 'acquired spinal conditions' is used as a collective name for the four accounts of recovery that emerged using Participatory Action Research in the north east of England (2010-11). Using two qualitative methods, Photovoice and participatory diagramming, the empirical material examines the role of physiological changes as a way to enrich understandings of disability and the bodily experience of impairment. Three themes, bodily materiality, material objects and fluids became significant during one-to-one and small group interactions with participants. The paper is situated in wider debates in geographies of disability and impairment, focusing on the interplay between different physiological states of being and the bodily changes experienced through recovery. It argues that recovery is the process of negotiating, adapting and adjusting to changes, from the way bodily materiality shifts and fluctuates following accidents and medical interventions, settling over time as participants become aware of bodily changes, to the role of material objects and the fluids that pass back and forth changing bodily interiors. The paper closes with a call for geographies of affect to explore the individual and collective feelings associated with fluids, and the human-animal relations affecting recovery and bodily interiors., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Objective: The purpose of this review was to identify risk factors, prognostic factors, and comorbidities associated with common spinal disorders., Methods: A scoping review of the literature of common spinal disorders was performed through September 2016. To identify search terms, we developed 3 terminology groups for case definitions: 1) spinal pain of unknown origin, 2) spinal syndromes, and 3) spinal pathology. We used a comprehensive strategy to search PubMed for meta-analyses and systematic reviews of case-control studies, cohort studies, and randomized controlled trials for risk and prognostic factors and cross-sectional studies describing associations and comorbidities., Results: Of 3,453 candidate papers, 145 met study criteria and were included in this review. Risk factors were reported for group 1: non-specific low back pain (smoking, overweight/obesity, negative recovery expectations), non-specific neck pain (high job demands, monotonous work); group 2: degenerative spinal disease (workers' compensation claim, degenerative scoliosis), and group 3: spinal tuberculosis (age, imprisonment, previous history of tuberculosis), spinal cord injury (age, accidental injury), vertebral fracture from osteoporosis (type 1 diabetes, certain medications, smoking), and neural tube defects (folic acid deficit, anti-convulsant medications, chlorine, influenza, maternal obesity). A range of comorbidities was identified for spinal disorders., Conclusion: Many associated factors for common spinal disorders identified in this study are modifiable. The most common spinal disorders are co-morbid with general health conditions, but there is a lack of clarity in the literature differentiating which conditions are merely comorbid versus ones that are risk factors. Modifiable risk factors present opportunities for policy, research, and public health prevention efforts on both the individual patient and community levels. Further research into prevention interventions for spinal disorders is needed to address this gap in the literature., Competing Interests: BNG receives speaker fees and travel reimbursement, NCMIC Speakers’ Bureau; book royalties, McGraw-Hill; is secretary and chief financial officer of Brighthall Inc and is a stockholder. CDJ is a member of the NCMIC Board of Directors, however she, nor this board, make funding decisions for the NCMIC Foundation; book royalties, McGraw-Hill; is president of Brighthall Inc and is a stockholder. Brighthall, Inc provided funding only for open access publishing fees for PLOS ONE and had no other financial participation in this study. BNG and CDJ received no compensation from Brighthall, Inc for participation in this study, as they were volunteers for the Globa l Spine Care Initiative. SH is president, World Spine Care; Clinical advisory board and stock holder, Palladian Health; advisory board, SpineHealth.com; book royalties, McGraw Hill; travel expense reimbursement, Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College Board. MS is board of directors, North American Spine Society; board of directors, Foundation for PM&R; board of directors, Spine Intervention Society; deputy editor, The Spine Journal; scientific advisor, NuSpine; consultant, State Farm. This does not alter the authors’ adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials. The following authors have no potential conflicts of interest to declare: EG, MBC, EJK, JMC, SR, ELH, KR, HY, MN.

OBJECTIVE The Patient Experience of Care, composed of 9 dimensions derived from the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey, is being used by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to adjust hospital reimbursement. Currently, there are minimal data on how scores on the constituent HCAHPS items impact the global dimension of satisfaction, the Overall Hospital Rating (OHR). The purpose of this study was to determine the key drivers of overall patient satisfaction in the setting of inpatient lumbar spine surgery. METHODS Demographic and preoperative patient characteristics were obtained. Patients selecting a top-box score for OHR (a 9 or 10 of 10) were considered to be satisfied with their hospital experience. A baseline multivariable logistic regression model was then developed to analyze the association between patient characteristics and top-box OHR. Then, multivariable logistic regression models adjusting for patient-level covariates were used to determine the association between individual components of the HCAHPS survey and a top-box OHR. RESULTS A total of 453 patients undergoing lumbar spine surgery were included, 80.1% of whom selected a top-box OHR. Diminishing overall health status (OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.43-0.91) was negatively associated with top-box OHR. After adjusting for potential confounders, the survey items that were associated with the greatest increased odds of selecting a top-box OHR were: staff always did everything they could to help with pain (OR 12.5, 95% CI 6.6-23.7), and nurses were always respectful (OR 11.0, 95% CI 5.3-22.6). CONCLUSIONS Patient experience of care is increasingly being used to determine hospital and physician reimbursement. The present study analyzed the key drivers of patient experience among patients undergoing lumbar spine surgery and found several important associations. Patient overall health status was associated with top-box OHR. After adjusting for potential confounders, staff always doing everything they could to help with pain and nurses always being respectful were the strongest predictors of overall satisfaction in this population. These findings highlight opportunities for quality improvement efforts in the spine care setting.

Background: There are various instruments and methods to evaluate spinal health and functional status. Whole-spine patient reported outcome (PRO) measures, such as the Spine Functional Index (SFI), assess the spine from the cervical to lumbo-sacral sections as a single kinetic chain. The aim of this study was to cross-culturally adapt the SFI for Persian speaking patients (SFI-Pr) and determine the psychometric properties of reliability and validity (convergent and construct) in a Persian patient population., Methods: The SFI (English) PRO was translated into Persian according to published guidelines. Consecutive symptomatic spine patients (104 female and 120 male aged between 18 and 60) were recruited from three Iranian physiotherapy centers. Test-retest reliability was performed in a sub-sample (n = 31) at baseline and repeated between days 3-7. Convergent validity was determined by calculating the Pearson's r correlation coefficient between the SFI-Pr and the Persian Roland Morris Questionnaire (RMQ) for back pain patients and the Neck Disability Index (NDI) for neck patients. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's α. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) used Maximum Likelihood Extraction followed by Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA)., Results: High levels of internal consistency (α = 0.81, item range = 0.78-0.82) and test-retest reliability (r = 0.96, item range = 0.83-0.98) were obtained. Convergent validity was very good between the SFI and RMQ (r = 0.69) and good between the SFI and NDI (r = 0.57). The EFA from the perspective of parsimony suggests a one-factor solution that explained 26.5% of total variance. The CFA was inconclusive of the one factor structure as the sample size was inadequate. There were no floor or ceiling effects., Conclusions: The SFI-Pr PRO can be applied as a specific whole-spine status assessment instrument for clinical and research studies in Persian language populations.

Study Design: Prospective single-center study., Objective: Study investigates how dynamic balance performance complements 2D static radiographic measurements and demographics in terms of understanding health-related quality of life in adult spinal deformity (ASD) patients., Summary of Background Data: Recent insights suggest that demographic variables have a stronger impact on health-related quality of life than 2D radiographic spinopelvic parameters in ASD patients., Methods: Nine healthy volunteers and 36 ASD patients following inclusion criteria were recruited. Demographics, Scoliosis Research Society Score-22r (SRS-22r), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Core Outcome Measures Index (COMI), 2D radiographic spinopelvic measurements, and performance on Balance Evaluation Systems Test (BESTest), and Trunk Control Measurement Scale (TCMS) were determined for each subject. Nonparametric tests, Spearman correlations, univariate, and stepwise-like linear multivariate regression analysis were performed., Results: BESTest and TCMS had significant lower values in the ASD group versus the control group (P = 0.000). In the ASD group, Cumulative Illness Rating Scale (CIRS) correlated fair to ODI, COMI (0.441 ≥ r ≥ 0.383, P < 0.021) and to SRS-22-r (r = -0.335, P = 0.046), Mini Mental State Examination correlated fair to COMI (r = -0.352, P = 0.035), "Pelvic Incidence minus Lumbar Lordosis" correlated fair to ODI (r = 0.361, P = 0.031), BESTest correlated moderate to ODI and COMI (r ≤ -0.505; P ≤ 0.002), TCMS correlated fair to ODI (r = -0.356; P = 0.033). CIRS and BESTest were significant predictive variables for COMI based on univariate analysis in ASD patients. Multivariate regression analysis including demographics, 2D static radiographic parameters, and dynamic balance scales identified BESTest as single independent variable (P = 0.000) to predict COMI (adjusted R = 0.285) in ASD patients., Conclusion: BESTest has a higher potential than demographic and 2D radiographic spinopelvic parameters to predict quality of life in ASD patients. Further research is necessary to identify the impact of ASD on quality of life., Level of Evidence: 3.

Study Design: Retrospective review of prospective multicenter adult spinal deformity (ASD) database., Objective: To compare the quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) between operative and nonoperative treatments for ASD patients., Summary of Background Data: Operative management of ASD repeatedly demonstrates improvements in HRQOL over nonoperative treatment. However, little is reported regarding QALY improvements after surgical correction of ASD., Methods: Inclusion criteria: ≥18 years, ASD. Health utility values were calculated from SF6D scores and used to calculate QALYs at minimum 2 years from the baseline utility value as well as at 1, 2, and 3 years for the available patients. A 1:1 propensity score matching using six baseline variables was conducted to account for the nonrandom distribution of operative and nonoperative treatments., Results: Four hundred seventy-nine patients were included (OP:258, 70.7%, NONOP:221, 47.1%). One hundred fifty-one (OP:90, NONOP:61) had complete 1, 2, and 3 year data available for QALY trending. Unmatched results are not listed in the abstract. Mean baseline utility scores were statistically similar between the matched groups (OP: 0.609 ± 0.093, NONOP: 0.600 ± 0.091, P = 0.6401) and at 2 year min postop mean OP QALY was greater than NONOP (1.377 ± 0.345 vs. 1.256 ± 0.286, respectively, P < 0.01). For the subanalysis cohort, mean OP QALYs at 1, 2, and 3 years postoperative were all significantly greater than NONOP, P < 0.03 for all (1 yr: 0.651 ± 0.089 vs. 0.61 ± 0.079, 2 yr: 1.29 ± 0.157 vs. 1.189 ± 0.141, and 3 yr: 1.903 ± 0.235 vs. 1.749 ± 0.198, respectively). Matched OP had a larger QALYs gained (from baseline) at 2 year minimum postoperative (0.112 ± 0.243 vs. 0.008 ± 0.195, P < 0.01). For subanalysis of patients with complete 1 to 3 years data, OP had a significantly larger QALYs gained at 1, 2, and 3 years compared with NONOP: 1 year (0.073 ± 0.121 vs. 0.029 ± 0.082, P = 0.0447), 2 years (0.167 ± 0.232 vs. 0.036 ± 0.173, P = 0.0030), and 3years (0.238 ± 0.379 vs. 0.059 ± 0.258, P < 0.01)., Conclusion: The operative treatment of adult spinal deformity results in significantly greater mean QALYs and QALYs gained at minimum 2 years postop as well as at the 1-, 2-, and 3-year time points compared with nonoperative management., Level of Evidence: 3.

Quality in healthcare is increasingly graded through a patient-centric lens, using reports of satisfaction and self-perceived outcome. Preestablished expectations have been recognized to influence these measures. With this review, we aim to examine the impact of expectations on satisfaction and patient-reported outcomes (PRO) for individuals undergoing elective spine surgery. We systematically searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Cochrane Library electronic databases from inception to July 2015 for studies examining the relationship between expectations and satisfaction/PROs in the context of elective spinal surgery. Qualitative synthesis centered around three key questions: (1) Does the magnitude of preoperative expectations impact patient satisfaction and/or PRO after surgery? (2) Does the underlying spinal pathology influence this relationship? (3) What is the impact of unmet expectations on satisfaction? A total of 1489 citations were retrieved. Nineteen met our inclusion criteria. These comprised 3383 patients; 3200 had lumbar and only 183 had cervical spine surgery. Three findings prevailed: (1) high preoperative expectations appear to be associated with higher satisfaction and PROs after surgery for focal lumbar disc herniation, but not for lumbar spinal stenosis; (2) patient expectations frequently exceed actual outcome, creating an "expectation-actuality discrepancy" (E-AD); and (3) high-quality studies suggest a larger E-AD portends lower satisfaction. Limitations to the data include heterogeneous study populations and surgical indications, along with the use of non-validated assessment tools, particularly for satisfaction. Our findings highlight the potential importance of establishing realistic expectations prior to surgery and may serve to direct future research efforts.

Background Context: The Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI) is a valid and reliable patient-reported instrument designed to identify patients whose presenting symptoms may be related to central sensitization (CS). Part A of the CSI measures a full array of 25 somatic and emotional symptoms associated with CS, and Part B asks if patients have previously been diagnosed with one or more specific central sensitivity syndromes (CSSs) and related disorders. The CSI has previously been validated in a group of patients with chronic pain who were screened by a trained psychiatrist for specific CSS diagnoses. It is currently unknown if the CSI can be a useful treatment-outcome assessment tool for patients with chronic spinal pain disorder (CSPD) who are not screened for comorbid CSSs. It is known, however, that previous studies have identified CS-related symptoms, and comorbid CSSs, in subsets of patients with CSPDs. Studies have also shown that CS-related symptoms can be influenced by cognitive and psychosocial factors, including abuse history in both childhood and adulthood, sleep disturbance, catastrophic and fear-avoidant cognitions, and symptoms of depression and anxiety., Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate CSI scores, and their associations with other clinically relevant psychosocial variables, in a cohort of patients with CSPD who entered and completed a functional restoration program., Study Design/setting: A retrospective study of prospectively collected data from a cohort study of patients with CSPD, who completed the CSI at admission to, and discharge from, an interdisciplinary function restoration program (FRP) was carried out., Patient Sample: A cohort of 763 patients with CSPD comprised the study sample., Outcome Measures: Clinical interviews evaluated mood disorders and abuse history. A series of self-reported measures evaluated comorbid psychosocial symptoms, including pain intensity, pain-related anxiety, depressive symptoms, somatization symptoms, perceived disability, and sleep disturbance, at FRP admission and discharge., Methods: Patients were grouped into five severity level groups, from mild to extreme, based on total CSI scores, at FRP admission, and then again at discharge. The FRP included a quantitatively directed and medically supervised exercise process, as well as a multimodal psychosocial disability management component., Results: The CSI severity groups were strongly associated with Major Depressive Disorder and previous abuse history (p<.01), which are known risk factors for CS-related symptoms and diagnoses. The CSI scores were also strongly associated with patient-reported CSS diagnoses on CSI Part B. The percentage of patients who reported a comorbid CSS diagnosis increased in each higher CSI-severity group, from 11% in the Subclinical group, to 56% in the Extreme group. The CSI severity groups were significantly related to other CS-related patient-reported symptoms, including pain intensity, pain-related anxiety, depressive symptoms, somatization symptoms, perceived disability, and sleep disturbance (p's<.001). The CSI scores, along with all other psychosocial measures, decreased at treatment discharge., Conclusions: In the present study, admission CSI scores were highly associated with previous CSS diagnoses, CS-related symptoms, and clinically relevant patient-reported psychosocial variables. All psychosocial variables, as well as scores on the CSI, were significantly improved at FRP discharge. The CSI may have important clinical utility, as a screener and as a treatment outcome measure, for patients with CSPD participating in an interdisciplinary FRP., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Study Design: Multicenter prospective pilot study., Objective: To evaluate if continuous physical activity monitoring by a personal electronic 3-dimensional accelerometer device is feasible and can provide objective data that correlates with patient-reported outcomes following spine surgery., Summary of Background Data: Self-reported health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) metrics are inherently limited by being very subjective, having a low frequency of data collection, and inconsistent follow-up., Methods: Inclusion criteria: adults (18+), thoracolumbar deformity or degenerative disease, and regular access to a computer with internet connection. Physical activity parameters included: number of daily steps, maximum hourly steps, and activity intensity. Patients completed the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), the Short-Form Health Survey 36 (SF-36), and the Scoliosis Research Society-22r (SRS22) preoperatively and postoperatively at 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months., Results: Thirty-two patients were enrolled, 8 (25%) withdrew, 1 (3.1%) died, and 1 (3.1%) did not end up undergoing surgery resulting in 22 (68.8%) available patients. Mean preoperative and postoperative step ranges were 1278±767 to 17,800±6464 and 891±587 to 12,655±7038, respectively. Eleven patients improved in mean total daily steps at the final postoperative month with 2 having significant improvements (P<0.05). Five patients did not significantly change (P>0.05) and 6 patients had significantly lower mean total daily steps at 6 months (P<0.05). The entire cohort significantly improved in ODI, SF-36 Physical Component Summary, SRS Activity, SRS Appearance, SRS Mental, SRS Satisfaction, and SRS Total score at 6 months postoperative (P<0.05 for all). Both ODI and Physical Component Summary were significantly correlated with preoperative average total daily steps (r=-0.61, P=0.0058 and r=0.60, P=0.0114, respectively). No other HRQOL metrics were significantly correlated at baseline or at 6 months postoperative (P>0.05)., Conclusions: A prospective pilot study for continuous real-time physical activity monitoring was successfully completed. This is the first study of its kind and demonstrates a foundation to continuous physical activity monitoring following spine surgery. A larger and longer prospective study is needed to confirm long-term results and its relationship with HRQOL scores.

Background: Economic environmental factors represent important barriers to participation and have deleterious effects on quality of life (QOL) in persons with spinal diseases (SpD). While economic factors are anchored in the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, their influence on QOL and participation from patients' perspectives is an infrequent focus of research. The aim of the present research is to calibrate a culturally adapted Rasch-based questionnaire assessing economic QOL in patients with SpD., Methods: The 11-items of the German economic-QOL-scale were answered by 325 patients with SpD on a four-point Likert-scale. Fit to the Rasch measurement model was investigated by testing for stochastic ordering of the items, unidimensionality, local independence, and differential item functioning (DIF)., Results: After adjusting for local dependency, fit to the Rasch model was achieved with a non-significant item-trait interaction (chi-square df = 20  = 34.8, p = 0.021). The person separation reliability equaled 0.88, the scale was free from age- or gender-related DIF, and unidimensionality could be verified., Conclusions: The Rasch-based German version of the economic-QOL-scale represents a suitable instrument to investigate the influences of economic factors on patients' QOL at a group and individual level. It can be easily applied in research and practice and may be administered quickly in combination with other instruments. The short test duration implies a low test burden for patients and a minimum of time expenditure by clinicians when evaluating the results.

Background: Managing patient expectations is essential in the treatment of patients undergoing spinal surgery. Patient satisfaction is associated with improved clinical outcomes and can be improved when patient and surgeon expectations are aligned and patient preferences are met., Methods: Patients presenting to clinic for management of spinal disease were asked to complete a questionnaire assessing demographics, current pain, reason for visit, and expectations and preferences surrounding the clinic experience. Variables were compared with χ 2 tests to determine factors associated with patient expectations. Subsets of new patients and returning patients were compared by the use of matched pair tests. One-way analysis of variance was used to compare means of clinic expectations in patients depending on their level of education., Results: A total of 240 patients were included. New patient evaluation was the most common reason for evaluation (26.6%), and pain relief was the most common chief concern (39.3%). Patients preferred their surgeon wash their hands in the room instead of before entering (P < 0.001) and wear professional attire over scrubs (P < 0.001). Patients believe their wait time will be longer than it should be (P = 0.002), they will spend longer in clinic than they should (P = 0.03), and they will get less face-to-face time with their surgeon than they should (P < 0.01) but also that the surgeon is not getting paid enough for the clinic visit (P = 0.02)., Conclusions: Because spine surgery is largely elective, patients often seek treatment to improve quality of life and alleviate subjective symptoms. Understanding patient expectations is critical to ensure that patients and physicians are working toward similar goals., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Objectives: The aims of this study were to (1) report the prevalence and explore the influence of spinal pain on quality of life and (2) assess the relationship between spinal pain and the type and number of comorbidities., Methods: This cross-sectional study comprised 579 community-dwelling, older Australian women. Women had "spinal pain" if they marked "yes" to neck pain, upper back pain, mid-back pain, and/or lower back pain. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression were performed to report the prevalence and explore the relationship between spinal pain and the type and number of comorbidities., Results: A majority of women (55.8%) who returned surveys had spinal pain. Women with spinal pain had significantly lower physical and mental quality of life scores than women without spinal pain (Medical Outcomes Study: 36 Item Short Form Survey [SF-36] physical component summary: 40.1 ± 11.1 vs 49.0 ± 9.0, and SF-36 mental component summary: 50.0 ± 10.5 vs 53.9 ± 8.2, respectively). Having spinal pain was significantly associated with overweight and obesity (odds ratio 1.98 [95% confidence interval 1.3-2.96] and 2.12 [1.37-3.28]), diabetes (1.93 [1.01-3.67]), pulmonary comorbidity (1.66 [1.04-2.65]), and cardiovascular comorbidity (1.57 [1.07-2.28]). More than half of the women with spinal pain reported 2 or more comorbidities, with comorbidities significantly more common among women with spinal pain than among women without spinal pain. The odds of having spinal pain increased with an increasing number of comorbidities (2 comorbidities: 2.44 [1.47-4.04], 3 comorbidities: 3.07 [1.66-5.67], 4 comorbidities: 5.05 [1.64-15.54])., Conclusions: Spinal pain is common in community-dwelling, older Australian women and is associated with greater disability and poorer quality of life. Diabetes, cardiovascular disease, pulmonary disease, and obesity appear to have a relationship with spinal pain. There was an incremental increase in the risk of spinal pain associated with increasing comorbidity count., (Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

OBJECTIVE Patient satisfaction is a commonly used metric in the current health care environment. While factors that affect patient satisfaction following spine surgery are complex, the authors of this study hypothesized that specific diagnostic groups of patients are more likely to be satisfied after spine surgery and that this is reflected in patient-reported outcome measures. The purpose of this study was to determine if the preoperative diagnosis-disc herniation, stenosis, spondylolisthesis, adjacent segment degeneration, or mechanical disc collapse-would impact patient satisfaction following surgery. METHODS Patients enrolled in the Quality Outcomes Database, formerly known as the National Neurosurgery Quality and Outcomes Database (N 2 QOD), completed patient-reported outcome measures, including the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) for back pain (NRS-BP) and leg pain (NRS-LP) preoperatively and 1-year postoperatively. Patients were stratified by diagnosis and by their response to the satisfaction question: 1) surgery met my expectations; 2) I did not improve as much as I hoped, but I would undergo the same operation for the same results; 3) surgery helped, but I would not undergo the same operation for the same results; or 4) I am the same or worse as compared with before surgery. RESULTS A greater proportion of patients with primary disc herniation or spondylolisthesis reported that surgery met expectations (66% and 67%, respectively), followed by recurrent disc herniation and stenosis (59% and 60%, respectively). A smaller proportion of patients who underwent surgery for adjacent segment degeneration or mechanical disc collapse had their expectations met (48% and 41%, respectively). The percentage of patients that would undergo the same surgery again, by diagnostic group, was as follows: disc herniation 88%, recurrent disc herniation 79%, spondylolisthesis 86%, stenosis 82%, adjacent segment disease 75%, and mechanical collapse 73%. Regardless of diagnosis, mean improvement and ultimate 1-year postoperative ODI, NRS-BP, and NRS-LP reflected patient satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS Preoperative diagnosis was predictive of patient satisfaction following spine surgery. The mean change in and 1-year ODI, NRS-BP, and NRS-LP reflected patient satisfaction regardless of preoperative diagnosis.

Objective: To examine the relative incidence of newly recorded diagnosis of depression after spinal surgery as a proxy for the risk of post-spinal surgery depression., Patients and Methods: We used the longitudinal California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development database (January 1, 2000, through December 31, 2010) to identify patients who underwent spinal surgery during these years. Patients with documented depression before surgery were excluded. Risk of new postoperative depression was determined via the incidence of newly recorded depression on any hospitalization subsequent to surgery. For comparison, this risk was also determined for patients hospitalized during the same time period for coronary artery bypass grafting, hysterectomy, cholecystectomy, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure exacerbation, or uncomplicated vaginal delivery., Results: Our review identified 1,078,639 patients. Relative to the uncomplicated vaginal delivery cohort, the adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for newly recorded depression within 5 years after the admission of interest were 5.05 for spinal surgery (95% CI, 4.79-5.33), 2.33 for coronary artery bypass grafting (95% CI, 2.15-2.54), 3.04 for hysterectomy (95% CI, 2.88-3.21), 2.51 for cholecystectomy (95% CI, 2.35-2.69), 2.44 for congestive heart failure exacerbation (95% CI, 2.28-2.61), and 3.04 for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (95% CI, 2.83-3.26). Among patients who underwent spinal surgery, this risk of postoperative depression was highest for patients who underwent fusion surgery (HR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.22-1.36) or had undergone multiple spinal operations (HR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.16-1.29) during the analyzed period., Conclusion: Patients who undergo spinal surgery have a higher risk for postoperative depression than patients treated for other surgical or medical conditions known to be associated with depression., (Copyright © 2016 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Examination of 648 workers in ore mining and processing enterprises demonstrated role of psycho-social factors in diagnosis and development of occupationally conditioned dorsopathies, revealed the most important occupational and non-occupational factors influencing dorsopathies development. Findings also are clinical and psychologic criteria of health disorders in workers with occupationally conditioned dorsopathies. The authors suggested scientifically justified approaches to preventions of dorsopathies and to workers' health preservation.

Background and Purpose: Cerebral autosomal-dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) is a monogenic form of cerebral small vessel disease leading to early-onset stroke and dementia, with younger patients frequently showing subclinical deficits in cognition. At present, there are no targeted cognitive screening measures for this population. However, the Brief Memory and Executive Test (BMET) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) have shown utility in detecting cognitive impairment in sporadic small vessel disease. This study assesses the BMET and the MoCA as clinical tools for detecting mild cognitive deficits in CADASIL., Methods: Sixty-six prospectively recruited patients with CADASIL, and 66 matched controls completed the BMET, with a subset of these also completing the MoCA. Receiver operating characteristic curves were calculated to examine the sensitivity and specificity of clinical cutoffs for the detection of vascular cognitive impairment and reduced activities of daily living., Results: Patients with CADASIL showed more cognitive impairment overall and were poorer on both executive/processing and memory indices of the BMET relative to controls. The BMET showed good accuracy in predicting vascular cognitive impairment (85% sensitivity and 84% specificity) and impaired instrumental activities of daily living (92% sensitivity and 77% specificity). The MoCA also showed good predictive validity for vascular cognitive impairment (80% sensitivity and 78% specificity) and instrumental activities of daily living (75% sensitivity and 76% specificity). The most important background predictor of vascular cognitive impairment was a history of stroke., Conclusions: The results indicate that the BMET and the MoCA are clinically useful and sensitive screening measures for early cognitive impairment in patients with CADASIL., (© 2016 The Authors.)