Do patient expectations of spinal surgery relate to functional outcome?

It is important for surgeons to understand patients' expectations for surgery. We asked whether patient factors and preoperative functional outcome scores reflect the degree of expectations patients have for posterior spinal surgery. Second, we asked whether patients' expectations for surgery predict improvements in functional outcome scores after surgery. We prospectively enrolled 155 consecutive surgical patients with greater than 90% followup. Patients' expectations were evaluated preoperatively along with SF-36 and Oswestry disability questionnaires. Postoperatively (6 months for decompression; 1 year for fusions), we quantified patient-derived satisfaction regarding whether expectations were met and by patient-derived functional outcome scores. In patients undergoing decompression, gender, SF-36 general health domain, and SF-36 physical component score predicted patients with high expectations for surgery. Patients with high expectations also reported greater postoperative improvements in SF-36 role physical domain scores after surgery. Expectations for surgery were met in 81% of patients. In a subset of patients (21 of 143), expectations were not met. These patients reported lower mean preoperative SF-36 general health, vitality, and mean mental component scores.

Patterns of collapse in thoracolumbar burst fractures.

OBJECTIVE: Functional outcomes of neurologically intact patients with burst fractures may be dependent on final kyphosis at the end of treatment. Conservative treatment is indicated if an acceptable sagittal alignment of the spine can be anticipated. Thoracolumbar burst fractures are often grouped as a single entity where, in fact, anatomically distinct areas of the spine may behave differently owing to different biomechanical factors. The goal of this work was to evaluate differential behavior in terms of final kyphosis in anatomically distinct regions of the spine following stable burst fractures. METHODS: Prospective analysis of kyphosis in 60 patients treated conservatively for traumatic thoracolumbar burst fracture was conducted. Initial trauma supine radiographs were measured for initial kyphosis (Ki). Final kyphosis (Kf) in the upright patient was measured at the end of treatment. The Ki and Kf were plotted on a scatter graph; with use of linear regression analysis, a mathematical model was created to define a relationship between Ki and Kf based on anatomic level of the spine. RESULTS: The thoracolumbar spine behaved in two independent patterns with respect to Kf. Kf at the thoracolumbar junction (T11-L1) had a collapse pattern that could be approximated most accurately with the equation Kf = Ki + 0.5 Ki. At the midlumbar spine, L2-L3 level, a best-fit model for collapse was Kf = Ki + 4 degrees . CONCLUSION: In this cohort of patients, fractures that were categorized as "stable" and not requiring surgery were studied for the purpose of determining differential collapse patterns in anatomically distinct areas of the lumbar spine. We have demonstrated that the thoracolumbar junction and the midlumbar spine behave differently biomechanically and recommend that these two anatomic levels be studied independently for research purposes.