Fear-avoidance and Patients’ Reported Outcomes are Strongly Correlated With Biomechanical Gait Parameters in Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy Patients

Abstract

Objective: The aim was to explores whether fear-avoidance is associated with altered gait patterns in cervical spinal myelopathy (CSM) patients.Summary of Background Data: Fear-avoidance is associated with activity restriction and emotional distress in chronic pain patients and with poorer spine surgery outcomes. In adults with spinal deformity, fear and avoidance correlates with gait pattern disruptions. Patients having CSM also display distorted gait.Methods: Ninety CSM patients completed the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK) questionnaire, and the Fear-avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ). Each patient performed a series of gait trials. Pearson's product correlation analysis was used to determine the relationship between the self-reported fear of movement measures and the objective gait biomechanical data. Results:The TSK total score was correlated with walking speed (P = 0.003), cadence (P = 0.012), stride (P = 0.010) and step (P = 0.036) time, and stride (P = 0.018) and step (P = 0.035) length. The FABQ physical dimension was correlated with walking speed (P < 0.001), cadence (P < 0.001), stride (P < 0.001) and step (P = 0.006) time, stride (P < 0.001) and step (P < 0.001) length, and gait deviation index (P < 0.001). The FABQ work dimension was correlated with walking speed (P = 0.001), cadence (P = 0.001), stride (P = 0.001) and step (P = 0.008) time, and stride (P = 0.014) and step (P = 0.002) length.Conclusions: These results provide a framework for further investigation of the relationship between psychosocial factors and objectively measured function in patients with CSM. This study demonstrates a strong correlation between fear and avoidance of movement, as measured with the TSK and FABQ and multiple biomechanical gait parameters, as measured with gait analysis. The current results may imply that fear and avoidance may compound and worsen functional deficits arising from CSM, and strongly suggest that fear and avoidance beliefs should be included as a component of presurgical diagnostic process for CSM patients.

The prognostic value of fear-avoidance beliefs on postoperative pain and dysfunction for lumbar degenerative disk disease: a meta-analysis

“…Furthermore, due to the focused disorder in this meta-analysis being LDDD, we excluded studies that involved cervical spine disorders [39,42]. Several studies have explored the relationship between FABs and cervical disorders [57–59]. Since lumbar and cervical spine degeneration shared similar characteristics, future studies are proposed to pool evidence for FABs on cervical disorders.…”

“…Furthermore, due to the focused disorder in this meta-analysis being LDDD, we excluded studies that involved cervical spine disorders [39,42]. Several studies have explored the relationship between FABs and cervical disorders [57][58][59].…”