title: Outcome Instruments in Spinal Trauma Surgery: A Bibliometric Analysis.
abstract: Study DesignLiterature review.ObjectiveTo identify outcomes instruments used in spinal trauma surgery over the past decade, their frequency of use, and usage trends.MethodsFive top orthopedic journals were reviewed from 2004 to 2013 for clinical studies of surgical intervention in spinal trauma that reported patient-reported outcome instruments use or neurologic function scale use. Publication year, level of evidence (LOE), and outcome instruments were collected for each article and analyzed.ResultsA total of 58 studies were identified. Among them, 26 named outcome instruments and 7 improvised questionnaires were utilized. The visual analog scale (VAS) for pain was used most frequently (43.1%), followed by the Short Form 36 (34.5%), Frankel grade scale (25.9%), Oswestry Disability Index (20.7%) and American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (15.5%). LOE 4 was most common (37.9%), and eight LOE 1 studies were identified (10.3%).ConclusionsThe VAS pain scale is the most common outcome instrument used in spinal trauma. The scope of this outcome instrument is limited, and it may not be sufficient for discriminating between more and less effective treatments. A wide variety of functional measures are used, reflecting the need for a disease-specific instrument that accurately measures functional limitation in spinal trauma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States.
authors.forename: Holt S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Cutler
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States.
authors.forename: Javier Z
authors.initials: JZ
authors.lastname: Guzman
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Connolly
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States.
authors.forename: Motasem
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Al Maaieh
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States.
authors.forename: Branko
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Skovrlj
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States.
authors.forename: Samuel K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Cho
keywords: American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale; Frankel grade scale; Oswestry Disability Index; Short Form 36; patient-reported outcome instruments; patient-reported outcomes; spinal trauma outcomes; visual analog scale