The prevalence of depressive symptoms before and after surgery and its association with disability in patients undergoing lumbar spinal fusion.

Abstract

PURPOSE:

The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of depressive symptoms and disability pre-operatively, at 3 months and at 1 year after lumbar spine fusion surgery.

METHODS:

Data was extracted from a dedicated lumbar spine fusion register, giving 232 patients (mean age 62 years, 158 females) who had undergone instrumented lumbar spine fusion. The frequency of depressive symptoms and disability was evaluated using the Depression Scale (DEPS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI).

RESULTS:

Depressive symptoms were found in 34, 13, and 15 % of the patients pre-operatively, at 3 months and at 1 year after surgery, respectively. The mean DEPS score decreased from 16.2 to 8.6 (p < 0.001) in patients who had depressive symptoms pre-operatively, and from 6.1 to 3.8 (p < 0.001) in those patients without pre-operative depressive symptoms. The mean ODI values pre-operatively, at 3 months and at 1 year after surgery were 53, 30, and 23, respectively, in patients with pre-operative depressive symptoms and 41, 23, and 20 in those patients without pre-operative depressive symptoms. The differences between the groups were statistically significant at all time points (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS:

One-third of our patients with chronic back pain undergoing spinal fusion had depressive symptoms pre-operatively. The prevalence of depressive symptoms decreased after surgery. Although disability remained higher in those patients who had reported depressive symptoms pre-operatively, disability did decrease significantly in both groups post-operatively. Thus, there is no need to exclude depressive patients from operation, but screening measures and appropriate treatment practises throughout both pre-operative and post-operative periods are encouraged.

• Authors: Marko Wahlman, Arja Häkkinen, Joost Dekker, Ilkka Marttinen, Kimmo Vihtonen, Marko H Neva
• Journal: European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society (Eur Spine J) Vol. 23 Issue 1 Pg. 129-34 (Jan 2014) ISSN: 1432-0932 [Electronic] Germany
• PMID: 23880866 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Back Pain (surgery)
• Depression (epidemiology)
• Disabled Persons (psychology)
• Female
• Humans
• Linear Models
• Lumbar Vertebrae (surgery)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Postoperative Complications (epidemiology)
• Prevalence
• Spinal Fusion (psychology)