Preoperative personality characteristics as predictors of postoperative physical and psychological patterns in scoliosis.

Four adaptive personality characteristics (trait anxiety, active--independent orientation, emotional poise, and level of cognitive development) were evaluated preoperatively in 50 adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients undergoing spinal surgery. Postoperatively, three indices of physical recovery (quantity of analgesics taken, elimination difficulties, and number of days to discharge) and two of psychological state (anxiety and depression) were rated. Two of the four adaptive personality characteristics correlated significantly with postoperative physical and psychological reactions. Quantity of analgesics taken, elimination difficulties, anxiety, and depression were significantly related to (viz., predicted by) preoperative trait anxiety. Quantity of analgesics taken and anxiety were significantly related to level of cognitive development. Preoperative degree of curvature was significantly related to postoperative quantity of analgesics taken. Duration of the scoliosis was significantly associated with level of cognitive development, but not with postoperative physical or psychological adjustment.