Long-Term Reliability and Validity of the AO Spine PROST (Patient-Reported Outcome Spine Trauma)

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Trauma Surgery
• Health Outcomes Research

Background:

• The reliability and validity of the AO Spine Patient-Reported Outcome Spine Trauma (PROST) for assessing long-term health-related quality of life after spine trauma remain unclear.
• Patient-reported outcomes are crucial for evaluating the effectiveness of treatments and understanding recovery trajectories in spine trauma patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate the AO Spine PROST for use at least 12 months post-spine trauma.
• To identify patient characteristics, fracture types, and treatment strategies that influence AO Spine PROST scores.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional validation study involving 175 spine trauma patients.
• Concurrent validity assessed using EQ-5D-5L, ODI, and NDI.
• Internal consistency and test-retest reliability evaluated using Cronbach's alpha and intraclass correlation coefficients.
• Multivariate regression analysis to identify determinants of AO Spine PROST scores.

Main Results:

• Excellent internal consistency (α=0.98) and test-retest reliability (ICC=0.81) were observed.
• Satisfactory correlations were found between AO Spine PROST and EQ-5D-5L (0.76), ODI (0.69), and NDI (0.68).
• Comorbidities, delayed return to work (7-43 months), and no return to work were significant determinants of worse AO Spine PROST scores.

Conclusions:

• The AO Spine PROST is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing long-term outcomes in spine trauma patients.
• The study identified key factors influencing patient-reported outcomes, providing valuable insights for clinical practice and research.