Analysis of the correlation between sarcopenia and pain catastrophizing in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis

GE Jing-chi; CUI Jin-jun; TANG Xin

doi:10.3969/j.issn.2095-252X.2025.10.004

Abstract：Objective To investigate the correlation between sarcopenia and pain catastrophizing(PC)in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis(LSS).Methods Ninety-four patients with LSS who were diagnosed and treated in our hospital from May 2022 to May 2024 were selected and divided into the sarcopenia group and the group without sarcopenia according to the patients'skeletal muscle mass index(SMI).Clinical data of LSS patients were collected,including age,gender,body mass index(BMI),symptom duration,grip strength,underlying diseases(hypertension,dyslipidemia,diabetes mellitus,cardiovascular disease,renal disease)and smoking.The pain catastrophizing scale(PCS)was used to assess the degree of PC in patients with LSS.The fear-avoidance belief questionnaire(FABQ)was used to assess patients'fear avoidance beliefs.Hospital anxiety depression scale(HADS)was used to assess the degree of anxiety(HADS-A)and depression(HADS-D)in patients.Multiple linear regression was used to analyze the factors affecting sarcopenia in patients with LSS.Simple linear regression to fit the curve was used to analyze the relationship between SMI and PCS scores.Results Thirteen(13.8%)of 94 LSS patients presented with sarcopenia.Age,proportion of females,proportion of cardiovascular disease,proportion of smokers,PCS-helplessness,PCS-exaggeration,PCS-contemplation,PCS-total score,HADS-A score,HADS-D score,and symptom duration were higher in the sarcopenia group than in the group without sarcopenia(P<0.05),and BMI and grip strength were lower than in the group without sarcopenia(P<0.05).Multiple linear regression analysis showed that HADS-A and PCS-Total scores were independently associated with sarcopenia(P<0.05).Fitted curve analysis showed that SMI was negatively correlated with PCS-total score,PCS-helplessness,PCS-exaggeration,and PCS-contemplation.Conclusions Patients with LSS are mostly combined with sarcopenia and are closely associated with PC.