Prevalence of central sensitisation associated symptoms and associations with treatment outcomes in surgical, interventional and injection-based treatment for patients with chronic spinal pain.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of symptoms potentially related to central sensitisation (CS) in patients with spinal pain and explore its association with patient-reported treatment outcomes. Methods: This study was designed as a single-centre prospective cohort study evaluating 496 patients undergoing surgical and non-surgical management for spinal pain between 2020 and 2023. Patients with symptoms lasting more than three months were assessed for symptoms associated with CS using the validated Central Sensitisation Inventory (CSI) before treatment. Treatment satisfaction was then assessed using a 5-point Likert scale. Complete data on patient demographics were available for 492 patients. Results: The prevalence of a CSI score of 40+ was 49.9%. Non-surgical patients had a higher median CSI score (42, IQR: 32-49) compared to surgical patients (34.5, IQR: 24-48) ( Conclusions: Overall, high CSI scores were common in patients with chronic spinal pain and were significantly associated with treatment dissatisfaction. Higher CSI scores should be considered when selecting treatment and managing patient expectations.