STUDY DESIGN: A prospective study in a hospital. PURPOSE: To investigate whether each disability based on the three sub-categories of the Roland-Morris disability questionnaire (RDQ) during hospitalization is associated with itself at 1 year postoperatively in patients with degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: Although the total score of the RDQ represents whole pain-related disabilities or health-related quality of life, it is a shortcoming that multi-dimensional changes in disabilities are difficult to understand when only using the RDQ. METHODS: Fifty-seven patients with LSS (men, 28; women, 29; 63.0+/-12.1 years) were included. Disabilities, pain intensity and depressive feelings were assessed at preoperation, discharge and 1 year postoperatively. RESULTS: The range of "mental and physical activities (MPA)," "functional movements on/around a bed (FM)" and "walking function (WF)" scores were 0 to 13 (median, 8), 0 to 6 (median, 6) and 0 to 4 (median, 3) at preoperation; 0 to 12 (median, 0), 0 to 6 (median, 0), and 0 to 4 (median, 0) at discharge; and 0 to 8 (median, 0), 0 to 5 (median, 0), and 0 to 4 (median, 0) at 1 year postoperatively, respectively. The following significant multiple regression equations were obtained: MPA at 1 year postoperatively=0.56 (MPA at discharge)-0.10 (depression at discharge)+0.90 (adjusted r2=0.41), FM at 1 year postoperatively=0.35 (MPA at discharge)-0.06 (depression at discharge)+0.40 (adjusted r2=0.45) and WF at 1 year postoperatively=0.59 (WF at discharge)-0.08 (depression at discharge)+0.63 (adjusted r2=0.29). CONCLUSIONS: In our LSS population, each disability based on MPA and WF at discharge is associated with itself in the future. Therefore, disabilities excluding functional movements are longitudinally independent.
Activities of Daily Living ; Female ; Hospitalization* ; Humans ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; Motor Activity ; Prospective Studies ; Quality of Life ; Spinal Stenosis* ; Surveys and Questionnaires