Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 4, 2025
05:52
Novel Mini-open Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion
Published on: June 6, 2025
52
Prognostic Value in Preoperative Veterans RAND-12 Mental Component Score on Clinical Outcomes for Patients Undergoing
Ishan Khosla1, Fatima N Anwar1, Andrea M Roca1
1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA.
Neurospine
|January 31, 2024
Summary
Patients with lower mental health scores (VR-12 MCS < 50) before lumbar fusion surgery experienced worse outcomes but showed greater improvements in mental health and achieved more clinically important differences. This highlights the importance of mental health in surgical recovery.
Area of Science:
- Spine surgery outcomes
- Patient-reported outcome measures
- Mental health assessment in surgical patients
Background:
- Preoperative mental health significantly impacts patient recovery after spine surgery.
- The Veterans RAND 12-item health survey mental composite score (VR-12 MCS) is a key indicator of mental well-being.
- Understanding the influence of VR-12 MCS on outcomes after lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) is crucial for patient management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between preoperative VR-12 MCS and postoperative patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) following LLIF.
- To compare recovery trajectories and minimal clinically important difference (MCID) achievement between patients with high and low VR-12 MCS.
- To elucidate the role of mental health status in predicting surgical success in LLIF patients.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective analysis of 79 patients undergoing LLIF was conducted, dividing them into two cohorts based on VR-12 MCS (≥50 vs. <50).
- Preoperative, 6-week, and final follow-up PROMs, including VR-12, SF-12, PROMIS-PF, PHQ-9, VAS pain, and ODI, were collected and analyzed.
- Statistical comparisons (chi-square, Student t-test) were used to evaluate differences in outcomes and MCID achievement between cohorts.
Main Results:
- The VR-12 MCS < 50 cohort exhibited significantly worse preoperative, 6-week, and final follow-up scores across multiple PROMs, including mental health, physical function, pain, and disability.
- Despite poorer baseline status, the VR-12 MCS < 50 group demonstrated greater improvement in VR-12 MCS and SF-12 MCS scores at both 6 weeks and final follow-up.
- This cohort also showed higher rates of MCID achievement for VR-12 MCS, SF-12 MCS, and PHQ-9, indicating substantial recovery in mental health aspects.
Conclusions:
- Lower preoperative VR-12 MCS in LLIF patients correlates with worse postoperative mental health, physical function, pain, and disability.
- Patients with lower baseline mental health scores experience significant improvements and achieve greater MCID in mental health outcomes post-LLIF.
- Preoperative mental health status is a critical factor influencing recovery patterns and perceived treatment success after lateral lumbar interbody fusion.
