Steven W. Hwang, Courtney Pendleton, Amer F. Samdani, Tracey P. Bastrom, Heather Keeny, Baron S. Lonner, Peter O. Newton, Joshua M. Pahys


April 2020, Volume 29, Issue 4, pp 754 - 760 Original Article Read Full Article 10.1007/s00586-020-06293-y

First Online: 28 January 2020

Background

Traditionally, adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) has not been associated with back pain, but the increasing literature has linked varying factors between pain and AIS and suggested that it is likely underreported.

Purpose

Our objective was to investigate factors associated with post-op pain in AIS.

Methods

A prospectively collected multicenter registry was retrospectively queried. Pediatric patients with AIS having undergone a fusion with at least 2 years of follow-up were divided into two groups: (1) patients with a postoperative SRS pain score ≤ 3 or patients having a reported complication specifically of pain, and (2) patients with no pain. Patients with other complications associated with pain were excluded.

Results

Of 1744 patients, 215 (12%) experienced back pain after postoperative recovery. A total of 1529 patients (88%) had no complaints of pain, and 171 patients (10%) had pain as a complication, with 44 (2%) having an SRS pain score ≤ 3. The mean time from date of surgery to the first complaint of back pain was 25.6 ± 21.6 months. In multivariate analysis, curve type (16% of Lenke 1 and 2 curves vs. 10% of Lenke 5 and 6, p = 0.002) and a low preoperative SRS pain score (no pain 4.15 ± 0.67 vs. pain 3.75 ± 0.79, p < 0.001) were significant. When comparing T2–4 as the upper instrumented vertebrae in a subgroup of Lenke 1 and 2 curves, 9% of patients had pain when fused to T2, 13% when fused to T3, and 18% when fused to T4 (p = 0.002).

Conclusion

12% of all AIS patients who underwent fusion had back pain after postoperative recovery. The most consistent predictive factor of increased postoperative pain across all curve types was a low preoperative SRS pain score.

Graphic abstract

These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material.[graphic not available: see fulltext]


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