Resilience Improves Patient-Reported Outcomes After Orthopaedic Trauma

Area of Science:

• Orthopaedic surgery
• Trauma care
• Psychological resilience

Background:

• Orthopaedic trauma significantly impacts patient-reported outcomes.
• Understanding factors influencing recovery is crucial for improving patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the relationship between patient resilience and patient-reported outcomes following orthopaedic trauma.
• To investigate the effect of resilience on physical and mental health metrics post-surgery.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from 99 patients at a Level 1 Trauma Center.
• Utilized the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) and Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) surveys at 6 months post-operative fixation.
• Performed univariate and multivariate analyses to assess the impact of resilience on various PROMIS scores, controlling for demographics and injury severity.

Main Results:

• Postoperative resilience scores (BRS) significantly correlated with all measured PROMIS outcomes (Global Physical Health, Physical Function, Pain Interference, Global Mental Health, Depression, Anxiety) (P ≤ 0.001).
• Patients with high resilience demonstrated significantly better physical and mental health outcomes compared to those with low resilience (P ≤ 0.001).
• Higher resilience was associated with improved scores across all PROMIS categories, irrespective of injury severity.

Conclusions:

• Patient resilience is positively associated with improved patient-reported outcomes at 6 months after orthopaedic trauma.
• Interventions aimed at enhancing resilience may offer a pathway to improve recovery and long-term outcomes for trauma patients.
• Resilience appears to be a critical factor in mitigating the negative effects of orthopaedic trauma on patient well-being.