Association between Pain, Catastrophic Thinking, and Health-related Quality of Life in Patients with Hand Fractures

OBJECTIVES: : Few reports have investigated the relationship between pain, catastrophic thinking, and health-related quality of life (QOL) in patients with hand fractures. We investigated the correlation between scores of the pain Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) and the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS; rumination, helplessness, and magnification), and between the scores of PCS and health-related QOL based on the Short Form 8 questionnaire (SF-8). METHODS: : Thirty-seven patients with hand and finger fractures were treated in a public hospital (16 men, 21 women; mean age, 56.5 years) and were treated by an occupational therapist. The relations between NRS, PCS, and SF-8 scores were examined at 4 to 6 months post-treatment. The effects of hand pain on catastrophic thinking and on mental, psychological, and daily role-based factors were analyzed by correlation and partial correlation analyses. RESULTS: The mean NRS score was 2.13. The mean PCS subitem scores were: rumination, 6.00; helplessness, 1.97; and magnification, 2.18. There were significant positive correlations between the NRS and all PCS scores. Relations between the PCS scores and SF-8 subitem scores, excluding items that were not correlated with NRS in partial correlation analysis, indicated significant negative correlations between multiple PCS subitems and SF-8 subitem scores for role physical, bodily pain, vitality, mental health, and physical component summary. CONCLUSIONS: Pain and catastrophic thinking were correlated with health-related QOL in patients with hand fractures. In addition to assessing hand pain, therapists should monitor the effects of mental and psychological factors and daily activities in this group of patients.