title: Investigating and predicting early lumbar spine surgery outcomes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine short-term changes in patients' clinical status following lumbar spine surgery (LSS) and to explore presurgical variables that predict surgical outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective cohort study. A total of 46 patients underwent LSS. Patients completed the following questionnaires 1 week before LSS and 2 weeks after discharge from the hospital: back and leg visual pain analogue scale, Ronald Morris questionnaire (RMQ), Modified Somatic Perception questionnaire (MSPQ), SF-36, Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire, Beck's Depression Inventory, EuroQol questionnaire, and patient-perception of improvement. Regression models were constructed to examine predictors of pain, function, quality of life, and patient-perception of improvement at 2 weeks postsurgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients demonstrated significant improvement in back and leg pain and function. MSPQ and symptom duration were significant predictors of back pain, while type of diagnosis and use of opioids were significant predictors of leg pain. Preoperative MSPQ and RMQ were significant predictors of postoperative RMQ. MSPQ, gender, and back pain were significant predictors of quality of life. Back pain, leg pain, depression, smoking, and worker's compensation were significantly associated with patient-perception of improvement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This preliminary study could be viewed as a directory to identify potential risk factors for unfavorable outcomes at early stages following LSS.
authors.affiliation: University of Kansas Medical Center, Mailstop 2002, 3901 Rainbow Blvd., Kansas City, KS 66160, USA. Tel 913-588-4566, fax 913-588-4568. nsharma@kumc.edu.
authors.forename: Saddam F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Kanaan
authors.forename: Paul M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Arnold
authors.forename: Douglas C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Burton
authors.forename: Hung-Wen
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.forename: Lindsay
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Loyd
authors.forename: Neena K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Sharma
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000523:psychology*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D020127:Recovery of Function; D013123:Spinal Fusion; D016896:Treatment Outcome