Patient-reported outcome measurements between VAS pain groups.
| PROM | Interval | N (n = 46) | NE (n = 57) | A (n = 19) | Univariate Analysis, P Value | Multivariate Regression, β Coefficient (95% CI), P Value | |
| Paired Samples t Test | Kruskal-Wallis H Test or χ2 Analysis | ||||||
| PCS-12 | Preoperative | 32.7 (31.0, 34.5) | 32.9 (30.9, 34.8) | 35.3 (30.7, 39.9) | N: <0.001aNE: <0.001aA: 0.064 | 0.762 | N: -NE: 2.300 (−1.707, 6.306), 0.258A: −0.532 (−6.015, 4.951), 0.848 |
| Postoperative | 39.4 (35.9, 42.8) | 41.4 (38.5, 44.4) | 40.0 (34.1, 46.0) | 0.617 | |||
| Delta | 6.6 (3.3, 10.0) | 8.3 (6.0, 10.6) | 4.7 (−0.3, 9.8) | 0.323 | |||
| RR | 9.6% | 12.1% | 6.8% | — | 0.419 | ||
| % MCID | 39.1% | 50.9% | 36.8% | 0.382 | |||
| MCS-12 | Preoperative | 47.6 (43.8, 51.4) | 46.4 (43.0, 49.7) | 46.2 (40.8, 51.6) | N: 0.401NE: 0.076A: 0.318 | 0.836 | N: -NE: 3.772 (−0.551, 8.096), 0.087A: 4.791 (−1.066, 10.648), 0.108 |
| Postoperative | 45.8 (42.4, 49.2) | 49.6 (46.7, 52.5) | 49.8 (43.0, 56.6) | 0.072 | |||
| Delta | −1.8 (−6.0, 2.4) | 2.8 (−0.7, 6.4) | 3.6 (−3.8, 11.1) | 0.161 | |||
| RR | −7.7% | 1.9% | 4.3% | — | 0.130 | ||
| % MCID | 26.1% | 40.4% | 42.1% | 0.255 | |||
| NDI | Preoperative | 45.0 (41.0, 50.0) | 47.0 (41.0, 52.0) | 37.0 (28.0, 46.0) | N: <0.001aNE: <0.001aA: <0.001a | 0.177 | N: -NE: −7.554 (−15.211, 0.103), 0.053A: −10.571 (−21.102, −0.041), 0.049a |
| Postoperative | 33.6 (26.6, 40.5) | 27.5 (20.9, 34.1) | 19.7 (10.6, 28.8) | 0.063 | |||
| Delta | −11.6 (−17.4, −5.9] | −19.3 (−25.0, −13.5) | −17.4 (−25.8, −9.0) | 0.330 | |||
| RR | 25.6% | 40.0% | 51.7% | — | 0.106 | ||
| % MCID | 45.7% | 50.9% | 52.6% | 0.825 | |||
| VAS neck | Preoperative | 6.5 (6.0, 7.0) | 6.8 (6.2, 7.4) | 4.3 (3.0, 5.5) | N: <0.001aNE: <0.001aA: 0.025a | 0.001a | N: -NE: −1.020 (−2.128, 0.087), 0.071A: −1.170 (−2.782, 0.442), 0.153 |
| Postoperative | 4.2 (3.3, 5.1) | 3.2 (2.4, 3.9) | 2.5 (1.2, 3.7) | 0.065 | |||
| Delta | −2.3 (−3.2, −1.4) | −3.6 (−4.4, −2.7) | −1.8 (−3.4, −0.2) | 0.082 | |||
| RR | 34.2% | 51.1% | 29.1% | — | 0.197 | ||
| % MCID | 47.8% | 59.6% | 42.1% | 0.302 | |||
| VAS arm | Preoperative | 3.0 (2.2, 3.9) | 6.8 (6.2, 7.4) | 6.3 (5.1, 7.5) | N: 0.362NE: <0.001aA: 0.001a | <0.001a | N: -NE: −1.521 (−2.921, –0.121), 0.034aA: −1.505 (−3.219, 0.210), 0.085 |
| Postoperative | 3.5 (2.6, 4.5) | 2.8 (2.0, 3.6) | 3.1 (1.6, 4.6) | 0.541 | |||
| Delta | 0.5 (−0.6, 1.7) | −4.0 (−4.8, −3.2) | −3.1 (−4.8, –1.5) | <0.001a | |||
| RR | 36.2% | 58.7% | 51.1% | — | 0.263 | ||
| % MCID | 19.6% | 63.2% | 42.1% | <0.001a | |||
Note: NPreoperative, postoperative, and delta data are presented as mean (95% CI). Neck, neutral, and arm pain dominant groups outcomes compared with univariate analysis—paired samples t test, Kruskal-Wallis H testing with Dunn multiple pairwise comparisons conducted for post hoc analysis, or Pearson Χ 2 analysis—and multivariate regression. RR were defined as: (delta outcome score/[optimal outcome score – observed outcome score]), where the following optimal outcome scores were used: 100 (PCS-12 and MCS-12) or 0 (NDI). The percentage of patients reaching the MCID was based on the following threshold values: PCS-12, 8.1 points; MCS-12, 4.7 points; and NDI, 15 points. Multivariate regression analysis conducted using the neck pain dominant group as a baseline for comparison—controlling for age, sex, body mass index, smoking status, (never, current, and former), follow-up (mo), and No. of levels fused.
aIndicates statistical significance (P < 0.05).
A, arm; MCID, minimum clinically important difference; MCS-12, Mental Component Score of the Short Form-12 Survey; N, neck; NDI, Neck Disability Index; NE, neutral; PCS-12, Physical Component Score of the Short Form-12 Survey; RR, recovery ratios; VAS, visual analog scale.