Predictors of Decompressive Laminectomy Outcomes
Predictors of Decompressive Laminectomy Outcomes
Decompressive laminectomy (DL) is the most common type of back surgery performed in older
 adults; DL treats lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS), a degenerative narrowing of the spinal canal
 causes pain and trouble walking. An estimated one in three people who undergo DL do not get
 well and often undergo repeated surgery.1,3-6 Some studies indicate that conditions outside
 of the spine (e.g., depression, hip arthritis) cause people who undergo DL to do
 poorly,27,30-36 but no one has comprehensively examined these conditions or the impact of
 treating them on DL outcomes. Thus LSS treatment continues to focus on the spine alone.61 The
 aim of this study is to identify conditions other than LSS that place Veterans at risk of
 poor DL outcomes so that future comparative effectiveness studies can be designed that
 examine the impact of a more comprehensive approach to treatment. Investigators believe that
 a patient-centered rather than a disease-centered approach will lead to superior outcomes,
 less suffering, and more appropriate use of health care resources.
The primary aim of this 6-site prospective cohort study is to develop algorithms usable in
 the clinical setting that predict decompressive laminectomy (DL) outcomes (i.e., success vs.
 failure) in older adults with lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS), the most common indication for
 spine surgery in older patients. The clinical algorithms developed will be based primarily on
 factors outside of LSS that are important aging-related predictors of pain and disability
 (e.g., hip osteoarthritis (OA), fibromyalgia syndrome, depression, anxiety, fear-avoidance
 beliefs, dysfunctional coping). Preliminary data support the impact of some of these factors
 on DL outcomes, but no study has included comprehensive assessment of rigorously collected
 data in the context of a prospective cohort. Thus LSS treatment remains focused exclusively
 on the lumbar spine and treatment outcomes suboptimal with, on average, < 20% reduction in
 pain. An estimated one in three DL patients does not improve at all. Further, anatomical
 evidence of LSS (i.e., based on advanced imaging) exists in many older patients without pain
 or functional compromise. Two hundred fifty patients with symptomatic LSS scheduled to
 undergo DL without fusion and who have no dementia, spinal instability, or prior lumbar
 surgery will be recruited from spine surgery practices at each of the 6 participating sites
 (VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Durham VA Medical Center [MC], Richmond VAMC, Ann Arbor
 VAMC, Denver VAMC, San Antonio VAMC). Within 30 days prior to DL (i.e., at baseline),
 participants will undergo comprehensive and rigorous assessment of pain and
 disability-generating factors including: 1) SS symptoms with the Brigham Spinal Stenosis
 questionnaire (BSS, the most specific available LSS measurement tool); 2) musculoskeletal
 comorbidities (scoliosis, kyphosis, hip osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia symptoms, severity of
 spinal stenosis, degenerative disc and facet disease); 3) mood (depression [with the Centre
 for Epidemiology Studies Depression Scale (CES-D)], anxiety [with the GAD-7]); 4) cognitive
 function (normal vs. mild cognitive impairment with the computer-based assessment of mild
 cognitive impairment); 5) psychological function (fear-avoidance beliefs [with the Fear
 Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire], chronic pain self-efficacy [with the Chronic Pain
 Self-Efficacy Scales], dysfunctional pain coping skills [with the Cognitive Strategies
 Questionnaire], treatment expectancy, illicit substance use, alcohol use, smoking status,
 PTSD symptoms); 6) medical comorbidity (including BMI); 7) demographic factors (age, gender,
 race, educational/marital status). The BSS will be collected at baseline, at the first
 postoperative visit, and every 3 months for one year. Prediction rules, based on the
 comprehensive set of factors measured and DL success/failure determined by the BSS, will be
 created using multiple methods to maximize predictive accuracy and validated subsequently in
 a separate cohort of 100 individuals. Investigators will apply these rules to future
 comparative effectiveness trials that test personalized LSS treatment approaches (i.e., that
 involve targeting extra-LSS factors as part of the total treatment package) as compared with
 DL alone. An exploratory aim of the proposed study is to evaluate the use of Goal Attainment
 Scaling (GAS) as a DL outcome. This patient-centered outcomes measurement approach is used
 commonly in the rehabilitation setting, but never before in DL patients. To prepare for
 future comparative effectiveness trials, investigators want to develop GAS as an outcome
 measure because it can be used to track outcomes in SS patients across surgical and
 non-surgical interventions, and investigators anticipate that both will be employed as part
 of personalized treatment. Investigators will explore (through 10-12 patient interviews) and
 refine (with a modified Delphi panel of experts) GAS goals in patients with SS, and measure
 goal achievement in a subset of 20 participants. What might happen if older adults with LSS
 were treated in the context of a comprehensive pre-operative program before undergoing DL?
 Might long-term outcomes associated with DL improve? Might patient satisfaction improve?
 Might some patients avoid DL? These are questions that ultimately investigators hope to
 answer.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  Younger than 90 years old.

 -  no communication barriers (e.g., English speaking, household telephone)

 -  Affirmative response to each of the three following questions:

 -  a) Do patients have pain, weakness, numbness, or tingling in their legs when
 walking standing?

 -  b) Does this pain, weakness, numbness or tingling in their legs interfere with
 their daily activities?

 -  c) Have patients tried at least one non-surgical treatment for their leg symptoms
 (e.g., physical therapy, pain medications, spinal injection)?

 -  Have been scheduled for surgery on lower back for a condition called lumbar spinal
 stenosis.

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  non degenerative causes of LSS such as

 -  tumor,

 -  infection,

 -  trauma,

 -  hemorrhage,

 -  or epidural lipomatosis

 -  Prior lumbar spinal surgery

 -  spondylolisthesis with spinal instability

 -  significant cognitive impairment