Background: Symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis (SLSS) is a condition in which narrowing of the spinal canal results in entrapment and compression of neurovascular structures. Decompressive surgery, with or without spinal fusion, is recommended for those with severe symptoms for whom conservative management has failed. However, significant persistent pain, functional limitations, and narcotic use can affect up to one third of patients postsurgery. Aims: The aim of this study will be to identify predictors of outcomes 1-year post SLSS surgery with a focus on modifiable predictors. Methods: The Canadian Spine Outcomes Research Network (CSORN) is a large database of prospectively collected data on pre- and postsurgical outcomes among surgical patients. We include participants with a primary diagnosis of SLSS undergoing their first spine surgery. Outcomes are measured at 12 months after surgery and include back and leg pain, disability (Oswestry Disability Index, ODI), walking capacity (ODI item 4), health-related quality of life, and an overall recovery composite outcome (clinically important changes in pain, disability, and quality of life). Predictors include demographics (education level, work status, marital status, age, sex, body mass index), physical activity level, smoking status, previous conservative treatments, medication intake, depression, patient expectations, and other comorbidities. A multivariate partial least squares model is used to identify predictors of outcomes. Conclusion: Study results will inform targeted SLSS interventions, either for the selection of best candidates for surgery or the identification of targets for presurgical rehabilitation programs.
Background: Nearly 20% of children and adolescents have pain with disability 1 year after surgery, and they experience poor sleep, school absence, and decreased activities. Negative clinical, psychological, and developmental effects include greater pain medication use, longer recovery, and fear of future medical care. Research has found psychological and family influences (i.e., child and parental anxiety) on pediatric chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP), but a better understanding of the role of perioperative anxiety and its related states in predicting pediatric postsurgical pain is needed. The poor understanding of the causes of child CPSP can lead to misdiagnosis and inadequate treatment, with significant short- and long-term effects. Objectives: The aim of this review was to summarize the literature on children's perioperative anxiety and parental anxiety in relation to acute postsurgical pain, CPSP, and pain trajectories. We also examined other related psychological factors (i.e., anxiety sensitivity, catastrophizing, pain anxiety, and fear of pain) in relation to pediatric acute and chronic postsurgical pain. Lastly, we discuss the interventions that may be effective in reducing children's and parents' preoperative anxiety. Conclusions: Our findings may improve the understanding of the causes of CPSP and highlight the gaps in research and need for further study.
The understanding of pain pathophysiology is continuously evolving. Identifying underlying cellular and subcellular pathways helps create opportunities for targeted therapies that may prove to be effective interventions. This article is an update on four areas of developing knowledge as it pertains to clinical management of patients with pain: nerve growth factor antagonists, microglial modulation, AMP-activated protein kinase activators, and genetic pain factors. Each of these areas represents novel targets for targeted therapies to prevent, treat, and modify the disease course of acute, chronic, and neuropathic pain. Currently most pain management techniques do not target these pathways directly, but there is promising evidence to suggest that the field is advancing toward available therapies in the near future.
Background: The Revised Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire Version-2 (SF-MPQ-2) is a multidimensional outcome measure designed to evaluate neuropathic and nonneuropathic pain. A recent systematic review found insufficient psychometric data with respect to musculoskeletal health conditions. Aims: The aim of this study was to describe the reproducibility (reliability and agreement) and internal consistency of the SF-MPQ-2 for use among patients with musculoskeletal shoulder pain. Methods: Eligible patients with shoulder pain from musculoskeletal (MSK) sources completed the SF-MPQ-2 at baseline (n = 195), and a subset did so again after 3 to 7 days (n = 48) if their response to the global rating of change scale remained unchanged. Cronbach's alpha (α) and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC[2,1]) were calculated. Standard error of measurement (SEM), group and individual minimal detectable change (MDC90), and Bland-Altman plots were used to assess agreement. Results: Cronbach's α ranged from 0.83 to 0.95, suggesting very satisfactory internal consistency across the SF-MPQ-2 domains. Excellent ICC(2,1) scores were found in support of the total (0.95) and continuous (0.92) subscales; the remaining subscales displayed good ICC(2,1) scores (0.78-0.88). Bland-Altman analysis revealed no systematic bias between the test and retest scores (mean difference = 0.13 to 0.19). Though the best agreement coefficients were seen on the total scale (SEM = 0.5; MDC90 = 1.2, MDC90group = 0.3), they were acceptable for the SF-MPQ-2 subscales (SEM: range, 0.7-1; MDC90: range, 1.7-2.3; MDC90group: range, 0.4-0.5). Conclusions: The SF-MPQ-2 provides good to excellent test-retest reliability for multidimensional pain assessment among patients with musculoskeletal shoulder pain conditions.
Background: Pain is a complex neurobiological response with a multitude of causes; however, patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often report chronic pain with no known etiology. Recent research has been aimed toward identifying the causal mechanisms of pain in mouse and human models of ASD. In recent years, efforts have been made to better document and explore secondary phenotypes observed in ASD patients in the clinic. As new sequencing studies have become more powered with larger cohorts within ASD, specific genes and their variants are often left uncharacterized or validated. In this review we highlight ASD risk genes often presented with pain comorbidities.
Aims: This mini-review bridges the gap between two fields of literature, neurodevelopmental disorders and pain research. We discuss the importance of the genetic landscape of ASD and its links to pain phenotypes.
Results: Among the numerous genes implicated in ASD, few have been implicated with varying severities of pain comorbidity. Mutations in these genes, such as SCN9A, SHANK3, and CNTNAP2, lead to altered neuronal function that produce different responses to pain, shown in both mouse and human models.
Conclusion: There is a necessity to use new technologies to advance the current understanding of ASD risk genes and their contributions to pain. Secondly, there is a need to power future ASD risk genes associated with pain with their own cohort, because a better understanding is needed of this subpopulation.
Background: Pain in patients with hemophilia is common and usually a result of arthropathy. Clinicians should, however, consider a wide range of etiologies for pain in patients with hemophilia including infection, osteoporotic fractures, arthritis, and osteomalacia. Aims: This case demonstrates an instance of poorly localized back and hip pain, severe enough to prevent ambulation, caused by hypophosphatemic osteomalacia due to tenofovir treatment for blood transfusion acquired Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in a patient with hemophilia A. Methods: Case Report. Results: With termination of tenofovir treatment, this patient returned to baseline function. Conclusion: This report serves to emphasize the need for accurate diagnosis of pain in hemophilia patients, especially among the aging demographic of people with hemophilia in which there is a significant likelihood of an HIV infection and among patients who may be on Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) or clinical trials involving tenofovir.