PREOPERATIVE SF-36 RESPONSES AS A PREDICTOR OF REOPERATION FOLLOWING LUMBAR FUSION

This study examined preoperative SF-36 (Medical Outcomes Study Short F orm 36-item questionnaire) data in patients who required a subsequent surgical procedure following lumbar spine fusion to identify potential predictors of this adverse surgical outcome. Of the 235 patients trea ted by lumbar fusion, 27 patients required an additional procedure. An alysis of preoperative SF-36 responses revealed higher scores in socia l function (P=.013), and pain (P=.021) for the 208 patients who underw ent only the initial fusion versus the 27 patients requiring a subsequ ent intervention. This study suggests that components of the SF-36 car ry prognostic value for lumbar spinal surgery.