EuroQol-5 dimensions health-related quality of life questionnaire in craniovertebral instability treated with posterior fixation with or without occipital plating: A comparative study with matched datasets

OBJECTIVE: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in craniocervical instability (CCI) before and after posterior fixation is yet to be determined. This study aimed to deliver novel and clinically relevant data about HRQoL (baseline, at follow-up, predictors, and correlates) in subjects with CCI treated with posterior fixation with or without occipital plating, and to compare it with matched datasets. METHODS: EuroQol-5 dimensions (EQ-5D) questionnaires were collected to evaluate HRQoL before surgery and at follow-up. Study sample size was estimated at 58. Comparison with representative datasets was done by matching on a many-to-many basis. Classic CCI parameters were measured. Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology was followed. RESULTS: Sixty subjects were included. The mean age was 37.2 years. The median follow-up for EQ-5D was 26.3 months with interquartile range (IQR) 10.8 to 47.3 months. The median preoperative score of the 3-level version of EQ-5D (EQ-5D-3L) was 0.254 (IQR = −0.025 to 0.504), whereas at follow-up, it increased to 0.779 (IQR = 0.387–0.864) which is still worse than the 25(th) percentile (0.894) of the age-matched population. Occipital plating (n = 35; 58.3%) did not influence HRQoL trajectory (P = 0.692). In multiple linear regression, HRQoL at follow-up was affected by the age (β = −0.004; P = 0.049) and length of hospitalization (β = −0.134; P = 0.010). Of radiologic measurements, preoperative Wackenheim line correlated with HRQoL at follow-up (rho = −0.432; P = 0 − 028). CONCLUSIONS: HRQoL is significantly reduced in CCI. Although this can be improved with posterior fixation, it is still worse than the age-matched population. Occipital plating may not influence HRQoL. HRQoL of the elderly might not increase as much as of the younger subjects. The longer hospitalization, the worse HRQoL could be expected. Preoperative Wackenheim parameter could correlate with HRQoL at follow-up.