Preoperative psychological testing with the MMPI at first operation for prolapsed lumbar disc. Five-year follow up

Preoperative psychological evaluation was examined in relation to the five-year outcome after first ever lumbar discectomy. The investigation was started in 1985 with a preoperative test employing questionnaires on a group of 57 patients. The patients were re-examined four times: right after operation, at six months, at two years, and at five years. The good outcome of 24 of the patients was significantly correlated with prolapsed lumbar disc seen on myelography, pain typically located for prolapsed lumbar disc, and no somatisation, revealed by an elevated admission of symptom scale. Twenty patients had a fair outcome. The poor outcome of 13 of the patients was correlated with somatisation before operation. Thus, a combined assessment of pain distribution, myelography, and somatisation gives the best outcome prediction for the outcome of lumbar discectomy.