THE IMPORTANCE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING IN PREDICTING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF LUMBAR SPINE SURGERY

ABSTRACT Objective: The result of treatment of patients with degenerative disc diseases is partly determined by the psychological characteristics of the patients. The aim of this study was to examine the correlations between the psychological scales scores in patients with degenerative lumbar disc diseases and the effectiveness of surgical treatment. Methods: The efficacy of the operation and patients’ satisfaction were compared with the preoperative psychological characteristics, according to the questionnaires and scales (BBQ Symonds, Zung Scale, FABQ, PCI, BBQ Catastrophization). Results: In patients with neurogenic intermittent claudication syndrome without significant pain, the operative treatment depended significantly on the value of the BBQ Symonds scale (p = 0.016). In patients with severe radicular pain in the lower extremity, the effectiveness of the operation depended significantly on the value of the subscale “protection” of the PCI questionnaire (p = 0.04), the ODI index filled out before the operation (p = 0.0). In patients with lumbar syndrome, the effectiveness of operation depended significantly on the value of the PCI questionnaire as a whole (p = 0.042) and its subscores “rest” (p = 0.028), the index of the Oswestry filled out before the operation (p = 0.035). Conclusion: The effectiveness of the operation of degenerative lumbar disc diseases is associated with the results of preoperative psychological testing. It has been established that the BBQ Symonds scale, PCI protection and rest subscales, and the ODI questionnaire are the most significant; these psychological scales have the power to predict the effectiveness of surgical treatment. Level of Evidence II; Therapeutic Study - Investigating the Results of Treatment. RESUMO Objetivo: O resultado no tratamento de pacientes com doenças degenerativas do disco é parcialmente determinado pelas características psicológicas dos pacientes. O objetivo do estudo foi examinar as correlações entre as escalas de índice psicológico em pacientes com doenças degenerativas do disco lombar e a eficácia do tratamento cirúrgico. Métodos: A eficácia da operação e a satisfação dos pacientes foram comparadas com as características psicológicas pré-operatórias, de acordo com os questionários e escalas (BBQ Symods, Zung Scale, FABQ, PCI, Catastrofización de BBQ). Resultados: Em pacientes com a síndrome de claudicação neurogênica intermitente sem dor significativa, o tratamento cirúrgico dependeu significativ