Methods: Prospective and observational study design as well as concenience sampling will be used in this study. Patients schedules for lumber spinal surgery will be recruited from neurosurgical ward in one medical center in South of Taiwan. According to the number of inpatients suffered degenerative lumbar diseases in the neurosurgical ward each year, we will recruit 200 patients in this study. Inclusion criteria are as follows: age over 18, patients with degenerative lumbar disease who are scheduled for lumbar spinal surgery. Exclusion criteria are patients have another source of NP such as diabetes mellitus, herpetic zoster, traumatic injury, amputation, cancer, stroke, and AIDS. Structured questionnaire including demographic and disease questionnaire, Numerical Rating Scale, and the simplified Chinese Identification Pain Questionnaire will give to the patients in pre-operative day 1, post-operative day 3, week 3, month 1 and month 3 to measure wound pain, neuropathic pain and related factors.
Results: This study has been approved by institutional review borad of the hospital. Result in this study will help us understand the prevalence of NP among patients with lumber spinal surgery as well as identify related factors of NP.
Conclusion: This can help health care proffestional to develop an appropriate intervention to strengthen future pain control for patients with lumber surgery and thus enhance patient comfort and quality of life.