Preoperative Expectations Do Not Independently Predict Two-Year Patient-Reported Outcomes Following Hand and Wrist Surgery

Purpose The purpose of this paper was to use validated instruments to identify if there is a relationship between preoperative expectations and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in patients undergoing hand and wrist surgery. We hypothesized that preoperative expectations would be predictive of 2-year PROs in hand and wrist surgery patients. Methods In total, 253 patients who underwent hand and wrist surgery were enrolled in a prospective orthopedic registry. The Musculoskeletal Outcomes Data Evaluation and Management System was used to measure preoperative expectations. At both baseline and 2 years after surgery, patients completed multiple questionnaires with multiple PROs, including six domains of the PROs measurement information system (PROMIS) and the Brief Michigan Hand Questionnaire. Results Overall, patients undergoing hand and wrist surgery had high expectations. Worse preoperative expectations were significantly associated with smoking, worker's compensation or other legal claim, a greater number of prior surgeries, and worse baseline PROMIS physical function, fatigue, and anxiety ( P < .05). Bivariate analysis indicated that greater preoperative expectations were associated with better 2-year PROMIS physical function, PROMIS pain interference, PROMIS fatigue, PROMIS depression, numeric pain scale, surgical satisfaction questionnaire scores, met expectations, and the Brief Michigan Hand Questionnaire ( P < .05). Multivariable analysis controlling for confounding variables revealed that preoperative expectations were not independently predictive of any 2-year PROs. Conclusions Patients' preoperative expectations are associated with, but not independently predictive of, 2-year patient-reported outcomes. Type/of study/level of evidence Prognostic IIB.