Spine
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Comparative Study
Disability exaggeration as a predictor of functional restoration outcomes for patients with chronic low-back pain.
Many of the individual biological, psychological, and social factors attributed to low-back disability have been tested previously for their ability to predict treatment outcomes. To test the assumption that disability exaggeration affects treatment outcomes, models were developed to quantify this complex characteristic and to test its predictive value. Two hundred fifty-eight patients with chronic back disability entering a program of functional restoration were initially evaluated with a battery of tests, including measurements of trunk flexibility, lifting capacity, cycling endurance, self-assessments of pain and disability, and psychological attributes. ⋯ There were no significant associations between any individual factor and 2-year work status. Only two of the 12 disability exaggeration models distinguished between program graduates and dropouts, and none of the models accurately predicted return to work following treatment. Prescription of intensive multidisciplinary treatment should not be denied on the basis of any individual patient attribute or of disability exaggeration, as measured in this study.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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Comparative Study
Comparison of eight psychometric instruments in unselected patients with back pain.
A comparative evaluation of eight psychometric instruments was made in 274 patients who were currently suffering or previously had suffered from low-back pain. The specificity and sensitivity values for detection of psychological disturbance were calculated and optimum cutoff scores determined for each test. The influence of current pain, social group, compensation, migrant status, and unemployment on the accuracy of each test were evaluated. ⋯ The Modified Somatic Perception Questionnaire, the Hospital Anxiety Scale, the Hospital Depression Scale, and the Zung Depression Scale were the most accurate and least affected by the factors examined. The combination of the Modified Somatic Perception Questionnaire and the Zung Depression Scale yielded specificities and sensitivities of 91% and 84% for men and 96% and 85% for women, respectively. This combination is recommended for the assessment of psychological disturbance in patients with low-back pain.