Efficient Screening for Fear of Movement in Outpatient Settings: Short Form and Computer Adaptive Tests for Fear Avoidance and Negative Pain Coping

Surgeon Prioritization of Mental, Social, and Pathophysiological Aspects of Health Among People With Traumatic and Nontraumatic Musculoskeletal Conditions

BACKGROUND

There is mounting evidence that, among musculoskeletal patients, variation in capability has more notable associations with variations in mental and social health factors than with variation in pathophysiology severity. This study sought factors that could limit the integration of this evidence into more comprehensive care models.

METHODS

In two scenario-based experiments, surgeon participants in an international collaborative, the Science of Variation Group, reviewed scenarios of (a) nontraumatic (83 participants) and (b) trauma-related (130 participants) pathophysiologies for which tests and treatments were discretionary. The following demographic, mental, and social health elements were varied randomly: sex, age, race/ethnicity, mindsets, social health aspects, and specific pathophysiologies. For each scenario, participants rated their likelihood to offer surgery (continuous) and their sense of presence of an opportunity to address better mental or social health in treatment (yes or no). Factors associated with each rating were sought in multivariable analysis.

RESULTS

Greater likelihood to offer discretionary surgery for nontraumatic pathophysiologies was associated with greater pathophysiology severity, trapeziometacarpal arthritis, and greater distress and unhelpful thoughts regarding symptoms. Lateral elbow enthesopathy was associated with a lower likelihood. For trauma-related pathophysiologies, an ankle fracture with slight articular subluxation was associated with greater likelihood to offer surgery, and several other trauma-related pathophysiologies were associated with a lower likelihood. For both nontraumatic and trauma-related pathophysiologies, surgeons noticed unhelpful thinking, distress, and social issues as reasons to consider addressing mental and social health in treatment, relatively independent of pathophysiology.

CONCLUSION

Surgeons seem to recognize opportunities to address mental and social needs but ultimately base their decision to offer discretionary surgery on pathophysiological factors.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Comprehensive, whole-person care for musculoskeletal illness might be supported by strategies for ensuring that aspects of stress and distress that contribute to greater symptom intensity are not misinterpreted as a reflection of greater pathophysiology severity.

Association Between Preoperative Multidimensional Psychological Distress and Physical Function After Surgery for Sports-Related Injury

Background

Psychological distress after orthopaedic surgery can lead to worse outcomes, including higher levels of disability and pain and lower quality of life. The 10-item Optimal Screening for Prediction for Referral and Outcome-Yellow Flag (OSPRO-YF) survey screens for multiple psychological constructs relevant to recovery from orthopaedic injury and may be useful to preoperatively identify patients who may require further psychological assessment and possible intervention after surgery.

Purpose/Hypothesis

To determine the association between the OSPRO-YF and physiological patient-reported outcomes (PROs). It was hypothesized that higher OSPRO-YF scores (indicating worse psychological distress) would be associated with worse PRO scores at time of return to sport.

Study Design

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods

This study evaluated 107 patients at a single, academic health center who were assessed at a sports orthopaedics clinic and ultimately treated surgically for injuries to the knee, shoulder, foot, or ankle. Preoperatively, patients completed the OSPRO-YF survey as well as the following PRO measures: Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS), Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation, numeric rating scale for pain; American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons standardized shoulder assessment form for patients with shoulder injuries, the International Knee Documentation Committee score (for patients with knee injuries), and the Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM; for patients with foot or ankle injuries). At the time of anticipated full recovery and/or return to sport, patients again completed the same PRO surveys. Multivariable regression was used to evaluate the association between total OSPRO-YF score at baseline and PRO scores at the time of functional recovery.

Results

The baseline OSPRO-YF score predicted postoperative PROMIS Physical Function and FAAM Sports scores only. A 1-unit increase in the OSPRO-YF was associated with a 0.55-point reduction in PROMIS Physical Function (95% CI, -1.05 to -0.04; P = .033) indicating worse outcomes. Among patients who underwent ankle surgery, a 1-unit increase in OSPRO-YF was associated with a 6.45-point reduction in FAAM Sports (95% CI, -12.0 to -0.87; P = .023).

Conclusion

The study findings demonstrated that the OSPRO-YF survey predicts certain long-term PRO scores at the time of expected return to sport, independent of baseline scores.

A psychometric evaluation of the Italian short version of the Fear of Pain Questionnaire-III: Psychometric properties, measurement invariance across gender, convergent, and discriminant validity

Introduction

The Fear of Pain Questionnaire-III (FPQ-III) is a self-assessment instrument developed specifically to measure fear based on various pain stimuli converging on three factors: severe pain, medical pain, and minor pain. It actually remains the most studied and internationally used tool even in its short versions. The aim of this work was to propose a new validation study oriented to confirm the good psychometric properties of a short model of the FPQ-III for the Italian context.

Methods

A large sample of participants was recruited (n  = 1,064) and Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) as well as Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) were performed. Measurement invariance of the FPQ-III across gender was also evaluated. In order to examine convergent validity, a further convenient sample (n  = 292) was used and variables related to the individual's pain experience, locus of control and coping orientations were assessed. A final discriminant assessment using experimental manipulation through fear eliciting videos was performed.

Results

The three factors structure of the 13-item version of the questionnaire was confirmed (χ² = 148.092, CFI = 0.971, TLI = 0.962, RMSEA = 0.046, RMSEA 90% CI = 0.037-0.056) as well as the measurement invariance across gender. Item internal reliability was satisfactory. The results provided evidence of the good predictive validity of the FPQ-III and the discriminant assessment demonstrated that the instrument is suitable in detecting changes in fear of pain induced by specific situational conditions.

Discussion

The scale in this short version is suitable for quickly and efficiently gathering information about the perceived intensity of such anticipatory fears that might affect even the healthy person dysfunctionally.