Abstract
Our prospective observational study of patients treated for Thoracolumbar Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) by anterior instrumentation aimed at investigating the correlation between the radiographic outcome and the recently-developed scoliosis research society self-reported outcomes instrument (SRS-22) which has been validated as a tool for self-assessment in scoliosis patients. Previous patient based questionnaires demonstrated poor correlation with the radiological parameters.
Materials and Methods
Pre-operative, post-operative and two years follow-up radiographs of 30 patients were assessed. Thirteen radiographic parameters including Cobb angles and balance were recorded. The percentage improvements for each were noted. The SRS-22 questionnaire was completed by all patients at final follow-up. Correlation was sought between each radiographic parameter, total SRS score and each of the five domains by quantifying Pearson's Correlation Coefficient (r).
Results
Percentage improvement in primary Cobb angle (r = 0.052), secondary Cobb angle (r = 0.165), apical vertebra translation of the primary curve (r = -0.353), thoracic kyphosis (r = 0.043) and lumbar lordosis (r = 0.147) showed little or no correlation with the SRS-22 total score and its five individual domains. Significant inverse correlation was found between the upper instrumented vertebra angle and at follow-up and SRS-22 (r = -0.516). The same was true for Sagittal plumb line shift at final follow up (r = -0.447).
Conclusion
SRS-22 is a validated tool for the self-assessment of health status in spinal deformity patients; however, it does not seem to correlate with most of the radiographic parameters commonly used by clinicians to assess patient outcome with the exception of upper instrumented vertebra angle and sagittal plumb line which do correlate significantly with the SRS-22 outcomes instrument. A comprehensive system of assessing the success of surgery both from the patient and clinicians perspective is required in the spinal deformity patient.
