The study authors assessed patients with the TUG test and panel of subjective patient-reported outcomes measures. There were 275 patients scheduled for lumbar spine surgery and 110 healthy patients who participated in the study.
The researchers found:
1. Subjective PROMs decreased significantly with every increased quartile in the SF-12 mental component summary, which was the dependent variable in the study. The PROMs most notably linked to the increased SF-12 MCS quartiles were VAS back pain, VAS leg pain, Roland-Morris disability index and EQ-5D.
2. The two groups reported similar objective functional impairment scores measured by TUG T scores across SF-12 MCS quartiles.
3. The healthy patients reported a significant decrease in VAS leg pain, RMDI and ODI. They also reported an increase in EQ-5D across SF-12 MCS quartiles. The TUG T scores were stable.
4. The study authors reported significant influences of mental health related quality of life on subjective pain, functional impairment and health-related quality of life measures. Patients with DDD may suffer from lower mental health related quality of life.
5. The study authors concluded, “The TUG test appears to be a stable instrument and especially helpful in the evaluation of patients with lumbar DDD and mental health problems.”
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