Clinical Outcomes of Patients with a History of Rheumatoid Arthritis Undergoing Lumbar Spine Surgery
Abstract
Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) negatively affects various aspects of patients’ lives and is characterized by mild to severe joint inflammation. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical outcomes of patients with a history of rheumatoid arthritis undergoing lumbar spine surgery.
Methods: In this retrospective case–control study, medical records of patients hospitalized in Ilam hospitals who underwent surgery for LSS during 2024–2025 were reviewed. Data were collected using a demographic information form, a checklist of disease-related complications, and the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for assessing back and leg pain, which rates pain intensity from 0 to 10. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 16, employing an independent samples t-test, chi-square/Fisher's exact tests, and descriptive statistics (mean ± SD, N%), with a significance level of less than 0.05.
Results: The results showed that the mean leg pain score at baseline was higher in the RA group compared with the non-RA group (9.45±0.81 vs. 8.82±0.93), with a statistically significant difference (P=0.002). Leg pain markedly decreased in both groups during follow-up, reaching 2.35±0.62 in the RA group and 1.17±1.05 in the non-RA group at 6 months after surgery (P<0.001). After 12 months, the mean leg pain scores further decreased to 0.92±0.23 in the RA group and 0.67±0.43 in the non-RA group, and the difference between the groups remained statistically significant (P<0.01).
Conclusion: Based on the findings, both back pain and leg pain significantly decreased in the RA and non‑RA groups during the 12‑month follow‑up after surgery. Although patients with RA had higher baseline pain scores and continued to report slightly higher pain levels during follow‑up, substantial improvement was observed in both groups over time. Overall, the results suggest that the surgical intervention was effective in reducing postoperative back and leg pain in both RA and non‑RA patients.
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