[Five-component visual analogue scale for assessement of pain status retrospective analysis of outcomes after surgical treatment of degenerative spine disease].

The study was performed for development of more precise criteria for assessment of pain using five-component visual analogue scale. Pain status was studied in 493 patients who underwent lumbar spinal nerve root decompression. Pain scale included the following parameters: pain at the moment, usual pain, maximal pain, minimal pain and overall pain score which was calculated as an average quantity of the previous four parameters. Overall pain score is a more precise criterion for evaluation of postoperative pain status in patients with degenerative lumbar spine disease.