Do Cervical Spine Surgery Patients Recall Their Preoperative Status?: A Cohort Study of Recall Bias in Patient-reported Outcomes

This is a prospective cohort study. To characterize the accuracy of patient recollection of preoperative symptoms after cervical spine surgery. Recall bias is a well-known source of systematic error. The accuracy of patient recall after cervical spine surgery remains unknown. Consecutive patients undergoing cervical spine surgery for myelopathy or radiculopathy were enrolled. Neck and arm numeric pain scores and Neck Disability Indices were recorded preoperatively. Patients were asked to recall their preoperative status at either short (