Preoperative pain catastrophisation may predict worse patient-reported outcomes after primary hip arthroplasty: A pilot study

Aim: to investigate the relationship between pain catastrophising and patient-reported clinical outcomes following primary total hip arthroplasty. Materials and methods: prospective consecutive study of 103 patients who completed preoperative Pain Catastrophisation Score (PCS), preoperative and 12-month postoperative Oxford Hip Score (OHS). Correlation analysis was carried out between the improvement in OHS (mean difference between pre- and postoperative scores) and the mean preoperative PCS score using the Pearson's r rank test. Multiple linear regression was then performed using the postoperative OHS as the outcome variable against a number of predictor variables. Results: there were 37 males and 66 females with average age of 60.5 years (range 22-84). Mean preoperative PCS score was 16.3 (+/- 13.6; range 0-49). Mean preoperative OHS was 16.5 (+/- 3.5) which had improved at 12-months postoperatively to a mean 38.1 (+/- 11.1). The difference was statistically significant (P < 0.0001). Preoperative PCS scores were correlated with the OHS improvement at 12-months which revealed a weak negative correlation Pearson's correlation coefficient r = - 0.248 (P = 0.0114). Preoperative PCS score, predictor variable, had statistically significant relationship with the postoperative OHS (P = 0.0207). The regression coefficient for the PCS was -0.25, therefore for each unit increase in the preoperative PCS score there was a 0.25 unit decrease in the postoperative OHS score. Conclusion: pain catastrophising appear to predict poorer postoperative patient-reported outcome measures. Further research is needed to evaluate the value of early identification of high-risk patients and the role of preoperative involvement of pain specialists and its effects on postoperative outcomes.