Pain Catastrophizing Is Independently Associated with Quality of Life in Patients with Severe Hip Osteoarthritis

Objective. Pain catastrophizing is an important pain-related variable, but its impact on patients with osteoarthritis is uncertain. The aim of the current study was to determine whether pain catastrophizing was independently associated with quality of life (QOL) in patients with osteoarthritis of the hip. Design. Cross-sectional study conducted between June 2017 and February 2018. Setting. Tertiary center. Subjects. Seventy consecutively enrolled patients with severe hip osteoarthritis who had experienced pain for six or more months that limited daily function, and who were scheduled for primary unilateral total hip arthroplasty. Methods. QOL was measured using the EuroQOL-5 Dimensions questionnaire, the Japanese Orthopedic Association Hip Disease Evaluation Questionnaire, and a dissatisfaction visual analog scale. Covariates included pain intensity, pain catastrophizing, range of hip motion, and gait speed. The variables were subjected to multivariate analysis with each QOL scale. Results. The median age was 68 years, and the median Pain Catastrophizing Scale score was 26. In multiple regression analysis, pain catastrophizing, pain intensity in both hips, pain intensity on the affected side, hip flexion on the affected side, and gait speed were independently correlated with QOL. Conclusions. Pain catastrophizing was independently associated with each QOL scale in preoperative patients with severe hip osteoarthritis. Pain catastrophizing had either the strongest or second strongest effect on QOL, followed by pain intensity.