Aim. To use Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) to determine the effectiveness of lumbar spinal surgery at a single UK institution. Methods. Consecutive patients who underwent lumbar spinal surgery (discectomies or decompressions) from 1 January 2011 to 13 March 2013 at a UK District General Hospital were assessed. The procedures were performed or supervised by a senior Consultant Orthopaedic spinal surgeon. All patients completed PROM questionnaires before and three months following surgery. These included Visual Analogue Scores (VAS), SF-12, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and Roland Morris Low Back Pain Questionnaire (RMQ). Results. A total of 230 patients had surgery. Of these, 189 (82%) completed both pre- and post-operative questionnaires. All PROMs showed improvement: VAS for constant back pain improved from 4.1 to 2.1 and exacerbations of back pain from 5.8 to 2.4. VAS for constant leg pain improved from 6.3 to 1.7 and for exacerbations of leg pain from 8.2 to 1.8. Mean ODI from 47 to 21; RMQ from13 to 5; and SF12-psychological and physical components increased by 7.2 and 12.4, respectively. Those patients with better psychological health pre-operatively, (high SF-12 score, >60 [n=14]) had a reduction in mean score (decrease of 3.2) post-operatively. However, those with poorer psychological health pre-operatively (low SF-12 score, <30 [n=18]) showed a marked improvement in mean score post-operatively (increase of 18.9). Conclusions. These results show that lumbar spinal surgery is safe and effective at a District General Hospital. Baseline psychological scores may help predict psychological outcomes following surgery. This warrants further prospective evaluation. This abstract has not been previously published in whole or substantial part nor has it been presented previously at a national meeting. Conflicts of interest: No conflicts of interest. Sources of funding: No funding obtained

Background. Social context may be important in chronic pain. One focus is reactions to pain between persons with LBP and their partners. Researchers have investigated partner reactions and found influences on pain levels and psychological outcomes, but little is known about factors underpinning these reactions. Aim. To investigate the associations of relationship quality and perceived partner responses with LBP intensity and disability. Method. Participants with partners (n=174) in a cohort study of LBP in primary care were included. Data on pain intensity, disability (RMDQ), perceptions of negative or solicitous partner responses (MPI), relationship quality (RDAS) and depression and anxiety (HADS) was collected. Results. Consensus (e.g. agreement about affection and sex) and satisfaction (frequency of arguments/disagreements) were significantly associated with pain intensity (p 0.01 and p 0.02). Solicitous partner responses (e.g. providing comfort, physical assistance) were significantly associated with patient disability (p 0.04). These significant associations only became apparent when depression was entered into the model, suggesting effect modification. Stratification by depression revealed associations between consensus and pain among those with high depression levels (p 0.04) and associations between solicitousness and disability in those with low depression levels (p 0.01). Overall, the models accounted for 14-17% of the variance in pain intensity and 26-29% of the variance in disability. Conclusion. Results show associations of solicitousness, satisfaction and consensus with pain intensity and disability. However the effect varies by the presence of depression. Further research should investigate further the pathway of relationship quality, depression and pain