Preoperative SRS pain score is the primary predictor of postoperative pain after surgery for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: an observational retrospective study of pain outcomes from a registry of 1744 patients with a mean follow-up of 3.4 years.
BACKGROUND
Traditionally, adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) has not been associated with back pain, but the increasing literature has linked varying factors between pain and AIS and suggested that it is likely underreported.


PURPOSE
Our objective was to investigate factors associated with post-op pain in AIS.


METHODS
A prospectively collected multicenter registry was retrospectively queried. Pediatric patients with AIS having undergone a fusion with at least 2 years of follow-up were divided into two groups: (1) patients with a postoperative SRS pain score ≤ 3 or patients having a reported complication specifically of pain, and (2) patients with no pain. Patients with other complications associated with pain were excluded.


RESULTS
Of 1744 patients, 215 (12%) experienced back pain after postoperative recovery. A total of 1529 patients (88%) had no complaints of pain, and 171 patients (10%) had pain as a complication, with 44 (2%) having an SRS pain score ≤ 3. The mean time from date of surgery to the first complaint of back pain was 25.6 ± 21.6 months. In multivariate analysis, curve type (16% of Lenke 1 and 2 curves vs. 10% of Lenke 5 and 6, p = 0.002) and a low preoperative SRS pain score (no pain 4.15 ± 0.67 vs. pain 3.75 ± 0.79, p < 0.001) were significant. When comparing T2-4 as the upper instrumented vertebrae in a subgroup of Lenke 1 and 2 curves, 9% of patients had pain when fused to T2, 13% when fused to T3, and 18% when fused to T4 (p = 0.002).


CONCLUSION
12% of all AIS patients who underwent fusion had back pain after postoperative recovery. The most consistent predictive factor of increased postoperative pain across all curve types was a low preoperative SRS pain score. These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material.
['Hwang|Steven W|SW|0000-0003-0832-3683', 'Pendleton|Courtney|C|', 'Samdani|Amer F|AF|', 'Bastrom|Tracey P|TP|', 'Keeny|Heather|H|', 'Lonner|Baron S|BS|', 'Newton|Peter O|PO|', '|||', 'Pahys|Joshua M|JM|']
D000293:Adolescent D002648:Child D005500:Follow-Up Studies D006801:Humans D010149:Pain, Postoperative D012042:Registries D012189:Retrospective Studies D012600:Scoliosis D013123:Spinal Fusion D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae D016896:Treatment Outcome
Preoperative Pain Postoperative Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis Prediction