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Patients need accurate information to develop realistic expectations after thoracolumbar trauma
In a recently published study, researchers found that in providing patients with consistent, accurate information after thoracolumbar injury, physicians were more likely to help their patients develop realistic expectations and potentially optimize outcomes.
The researchers sent questionnaires to members of the Spine Trauma Study Group (STSG), regarding four common thoracolumbar trauma cases. Five questions regarding expected outcomes were posed for each case, including the proportion of patients who were pain-free, the proportion who had regained full range of motion, and patients’ recreational activity restrictions, personal care and social limitations. The researchers then analyzed the responses and combined them with results of a systematic literature review on the same injuries to define the expected outcomes.
Fifty-three surgeons, representing 24 trauma centers, completed the survey. Consensus opinion from the surgeons supplemented the available literature and was used exclusively when no data were available for a specific injury.
The researchers concluded that the synthesis of the best-available literature and the consensus opinion of responding surgeons reflected the best methodology for determining health-related quality-of-life outcomes and functional prognosis after thoracolumbar trauma injuries. – by Robert Linnehan
Disclosure: The Spine Trauma Study Group reports receiving funding from Medtronic. Please see the full study for a list of all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.