Lumbar Discectomy: Generic Outcome Measures for Specific Outcome Prediction: A Short-term, Observational, Pilot Study

Area of Science:

• Neurosurgery
• Orthopedics
• Pain Management

Background:

• Suboptimal outcomes after lumbar discectomy are linked to presurgical pain, functional limitations, and psychosocial factors like depression.
• Generic outcome measures can predict persistent leg pain post-discectomy, but studies often use multiple tools, limiting clinical use.
• The Short Form-36 (SF-36) and McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ) assess factors relevant to unfavorable outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the prognostic value of the SF-36 and SF-MPQ in predicting outcomes following single-level lumbar discectomy.
• To determine if commonly used generic questionnaires can identify patients at risk for persistent leg pain and chronicity.

Main Methods:

• A longitudinal observational study followed 83 patients undergoing lumbar discectomy with presurgery and postsurgery assessments.
• Multivariate logistic and linear regression models were used to analyze the association between presurgical and postsurgical scores.
• Age, sex, and presurgical scores were independent variables, while presurgical scores were dependent variables.

Main Results:

• Statistically significant improvements were observed in both SF-MPQ and SF-36 scores post-surgery.
• Presurgical leg pain symptoms (cramping, gnawing, burning, aching) were least responsive to treatment.
• Mental health scores on the SF-36 showed less improvement than physical scores, and general health perception improved marginally.

Conclusions:

• The SF-MPQ and SF-36 are valuable tools for identifying patients at risk of unfavorable outcomes after lumbar discectomy.
• These questionnaires can aid in treatment decisions and have broader clinical applications for parallel data interpretation.