This study showed that more than functional outcomes matter; preoperative expectations and fulfillment of expectations influence postoperative satisfaction in patients undergoing lumbar and cervical spine surgery. This underlines the importance of taking preoperative expectations into account to obtain an informed choice on the basis of the patient's preferences.

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Study Design/Setting SPORT subgroup analysis Objective To evaluate the effect of extreme obesity on management of lumbar spinal stenosis (SpS), degenerative spondylolisthesis (DS), and intervertebral disc herniation (IDH) Summary of Background Data Prior SPORT analyses compared nonobese and obese. This study compares nonobese to class I obesity and class II/III extreme obesity. Methods For SpS, 250/634 nonobese, 104/167 obese, and 59/94 extremely obese patients underwent surgery. For DS, 233/376 nonobese, 90/129 obese, and 66/96 extremely obese patients had surgery. For IDH, 542/854 nonobese, 151/207 obese, 94/129 extremely obese patients had surgery. Outcomes included SF-36, Oswestry Disability Index, Stenosis/Sciatica Bothersomeness Index, Low Back Pain Bothersomeness Index, operative events, complications, and reoperations. Results Extremely obese patients had increased comorbidities. Baseline SF-36 physical function scores were lower for obese; lowest for extremely obese. For SpS, surgical treatment effect and operative events among groups were not significantly different. For DS, 4-year SF-36 physical function scores had greatest treatment effect in extremely obese. This observation was found in most primary outcome measures, and is attributable to the significantly poorer nonoperative outcomes. Operative times and wound infection rates were greatest for the extremely obese. Additional surgery at 3 and 4 years was higher in both obese cohorts. For IDH, extremely obese experienced less improvement post-op than obese and nonobese; however, nonoperative treatment for extremely obese patients was worse, resulting in treatment effect still greater in almost all measures. Operative time was greatest for extremely obese. Blood loss and length of stay was greater for both obese cohorts compared to non-obese. Conclusions Extremely obese with DS experienced longer operative times and increased infection. Operative time was greatest for extremely obese with IDH. DS and IDH saw greater surgical treatment effect for extremely obese due to poor outcomes of nonsurgical management.

Reliance on CT imaging alone to "clear the cervical spine" after blunt trauma can lead to missed injuries. This study supports a role for the addition of MRI in evaluating patients who are obtunded, or unexaminable, despite a negative CT scan.

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