The spine journal : official journal of the North American Spine Society
-
The relationship between the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia and low back pain rehabilitation outcomes.
The Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK) is commonly used in clinical practice to quantify levels of pain-related fear of activity or re-injury in patients presenting with back pain. Patients with high levels of kinesiophobia are often considered at greater risk of developing long-term activity limitation and chronicity. There is, however, little evidence to support this assumption. ⋯ The TSK provides no benefit as a screening tool to predict pain, functional and work outcomes following rehabilitation. Measured changes in TSK scores following rehabilitation do not correlate strongly with similar, concordant changes in pain scores, functional levels, or return-to-work outcomes.
-
Facet joint orientation and tropism influence the biomechanics of the corresponding segment. Therefore, the sagittal orientation or tropism of the facet joint adjacent to the fusion segment seems a potential risk factor for adjacent segment degeneration. However, there have been no biomechanical studies regarding this issue. ⋯ Facet joint orientation and tropism at the adjacent segment influences the overstress of the adjacent segment, especially under the clinical circumstance of increased anterior shear force.
-
Comparative Study
Minimally invasive compared with open lumbar laminotomy: no functional benefits at 6 or 24 months after surgery.
Comparative studies between open and minimally invasive surgical (MIS) approaches for the treatment of spinal stenosis have mainly investigated immediate postoperative parameters. ⋯ Compared with an open approach, MIS lumbar laminotomy gave no clear advantages in longer term functional or pain scores. The MIS group also had patients with inadvertent durotomies and reoperation within 2 years. In any lumbar decompressive surgery, the purported advantages of an MIS approach should be carefully weighed against potential complications. For a relatively simple surgery such as laminotomy, the open approach remains a safe and straightforward option.