Study design: A prospective observational study.
Objective: This study was done to examine the influence of hand grip strength (HGS) on surgical outcomes of adult spinal deformity (ASD) patients.
Summary of background data: No study has investigated the relation between hand grip strength and treatment outcome of adult spinal deformity correction surgery.
Methods: A total of 78 consecutive patients who underwent adult spinal deformity correction surgery were included in this study. Patients were assigned to either the high HGS (≥ 26 kg for men and ≥ 18 kg for women, n = 26) or the low HGS (< 26 kg for men and < 18 kg for women, n = 52) based on their preoperative measurements. The Oswestry disability index (ODI), EQ-5D, and visual analog scale (VAS) for back pain were assessed preoperatively, and 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months postoperatively. The primary outcome measure was ODI scores 12 months after surgery. The secondary outcome measures included the overall ODI scores, EQ-5D, and VAS for back pain, assessed at each time point during the 12-months follow-up.
Results: The ODI score at 12 months after surgery was significantly lower in the high HGS group than the low HGS group (P < 0.001), which was best predicted by a multivariate regression model including age, gender, BMI, HGS, and preoperative ODI scores. The overall ODI score, EQ-5D, and VAS for back pain had better outcomes in the high HGS group across each follow-up assessment (P < 0.001 for all follow-ups), while they improved significantly with time after surgery in both groups.
Conclusions: Patients with higher preoperative HGS displayed better surgical outcomes, in terms of disability and health-related quality of life at 12 months after reconstructive spinal surgery for ASD.
Level of evidence: 2.