Purpose: To investigate the association between pain sensitivity in the hand pre-surgery, and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in function, pain and health pre- and post-surgery in patients with disc herniation or spinal stenosis.
Methods: This is a prospective cohort study with 82 patients. Associations between pressure-, cold- and heat pain threshold (PPT, CPT, HPT) in the hand pre-surgery and Oswestry, VAS pain, EQ-5D, HADS, and Self-Efficacy Scale, pre- and three months post-surgery; were investigated with linear regression.
Results: Patients with disc herniation more sensitive to pressure pain pre-surgery showed lower function and self-efficacy, and higher anxiety and depression pre-surgery, and lower function, and self-efficacy, and higher pain post-surgery. Results for cold pain were similar. In patients with spinal stenosis few associations with PROs were found and none for HPT and PROs.
Conclusions: Altered pain response in pressure- and cold pain in the hand, as a sign of widespread pain pre-surgery had associations with higher pain, lower function and self-efficacy post-surgery in patients with disc herniation.
Keywords: Disc herniation; Quantitative sensory testing; Spinal stenosis; Spinal surgery; Widespread pain.