Affiliations: Centre for Orthopaedic Surgery OCON, Spine Unit, Hengelo, The Netherlands
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: R. Huis in 't Veld, Orthopaedic Centre OCON, ZGT Hospital, Geerdinksweg 141, Postbus 546, 7550AM, Hengelo, The Netherlands. Tel.: +31 88 708 53 75; Fax: +31 88 708 37 52; E-mail:r.huisintveld@ocon.nl
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Psychological risk factors have shown to be important
prognostic indicators of back surgery outcome. Prevalence of these risk
factors has rarely been examined in an outpatient clinic population.
Furthermore, it is unclear to which extent they play a role, in absence of
routinely used psychological screening tools, in treatment assignment. OBJECTIVE: First aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of
psychological risk factors in back pain patients at an orthopaedic
outpatient clinic. Second aim was to investigate the prognostic value of
these identified risk factors in treatment assignment by the orthopaedic
surgeons (conservative vs. surgery). METHODS: Sixty-six adult back pain patients were included.
Psychological risk factor prevalence was determined with the Hospital
Anxiety and Depression Scale, Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia and Pain
Catastrophizing Scale. Prognostic value of these risk factors in treatment
assignment was examined using statistics. RESULTS: Respectively, 30 (45% HADS Anxiety), 27 (41%, HADS
Depression), 19 (29%, PCS) and 37 (56%, TSK) patients scored above
cut-off. No prognostic value of risk factors in treatment assignment, was
found. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of patients in our study is at risk of
poor surgical outcome due to presence of psychological risk factors. Future
studies should target the development of screening tools for an early
identification of those at risk.
Keywords: Back pain, surgery, psychological, risk factors, screening
