Why Do Patients Seek a Spine Surgeon?

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Spine Surgery
• Geriatric Medicine

Background:

• Limited research exists on patient motivations for seeking spine clinic care.
• Degenerative scoliosis is frequently linked to debilitating low back and extremity pain in older adults.
• Existing literature suggests no strong correlation between the severity of spinal curve progression and perceived patient function.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the primary reasons patients seek consultation at a specialty spine clinic.
• To investigate whether pain or spinal deformity is the more common chief complaint.
• To analyze the relationship between the magnitude of spinal curve progression and patient-reported functionality.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective chart review of 351 consecutive patients diagnosed with degenerative scoliosis or lumbar stenosis.
• Inclusion criteria included age 50+, no prior scoliosis history, and presentation within a 12-month period.
• Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) data were collected to assess patient-reported functionality.

Main Results:

• The majority of patients presented with pain: 160 reported combined back and leg pain, 123 reported back pain only, and 42 reported leg pain only.
• Only 10 patients complained of deformity or deformity with pain, even among those with a Cobb angle exceeding 10 degrees.
• The study population comprised 25% with degenerative scoliosis and spinal stenosis, 11% with degenerative scoliosis alone, and 64% with stenosis alone.

Conclusions:

• Pain, particularly back and/or leg pain, is the predominant reason patients seek care at a specialty spine clinic.
• Complaints of deformity alone are uncommon, even in patients with significant spinal curvature (Cobb angle > 30 degrees).
• Findings highlight the significant impact of pain on quality of life for elderly patients with degenerative spinal conditions.