The predictive value of psychometric analysis in patients treated by extirpation of lumbar intervertebral disc herniation.

The authors studied the predictive value of a psychometric evaluation of 50 patients (14 women, 36 men) with a mean age of 40 years who were treated by extirpation of a lumbar disc herniation. Patient satisfaction was evaluated by an unbiased observer. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and a Pain Visual Analogue Scale (PVAS) were used to assess pain and psychological distress before surgery and 3 and 12 months after surgery. Two years after surgery, 37 patients were contented with the surgical outcome and 10 patients were not. Three patients did not return the questionnaire. Before surgery, the patients who later became discontented were more depressed, more anxious, and experienced more pain. In a discriminant analysis, a combination of BDI, STAI, and PVAS scores correctly classified 78% of the discontented and 76% of the contented patients. The study shows psychometric analysis is a valuable tool for predicting the outcome of surgical treatment for lumbar disc herniation.