Resilience Improves Patient-Reported Outcomes After Orthopaedic Trauma

Abstract

Objectives: To analyze the relationship between patient resilience and patient-reported outcomes after orthopaedic trauma.

Design: Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data.

Setting: Single Level 1 Trauma Center.

Patient selection criteria: Patients were selected based on completion of the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) and Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) surveys 6 months after undergoing operative fracture fixation following orthopaedic trauma. Patients were excluded if they did not complete all PROMIS and BRS surveys.

Outcome measures and comparisons: Resilience, measured by the BRS, was analyzed for its effect on patient-reported outcomes, measured by PROMIS Global Physical Health, Physical Function, Pain Interference, Global Mental Health, Depression, and Anxiety. Variables collected were demographics (age, gender, race, body mass index), injury severity score, and postoperative complications (nonunion, infection). All variables were analyzed with univariate for effect on all PROMIS scores. Variables with significance were included in multivariate analysis. Patients were then separated into high resilience (BRS >4.3) and low resilience (BRS <3.0) groups for additional analysis.

Results: A total of 99 patients were included in the analysis. Most patients were male (53%) with an average age of 47 years. Postoperative BRS scores significantly correlated with PROMIS Global Physical Health, Pain Interference, Physical Function, Global Mental Health, Depression, and Anxiety ( P ≤ 0.001 for all scores) at 6 months after injury on both univariate and multivariate analyses. The high resilience group had significantly higher PROMIS Global Physical Health, Physical Function, and Global Mental Health scores and significantly lower PROMIS Pain Interference, Depression, and Anxiety scores ( P ≤ 0.001 for all scores).

Conclusions: Resilience in orthopaedic trauma has a positive association with patient outcomes at 6 months postoperatively. Patients with higher resilience report higher scores in all PROMIS categories regardless of injury severity. Future studies directed at increasing resilience may improve outcomes in patients who experience orthopaedic trauma.

Level of evidence: Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.