The Biopsychosocial Model to Identify Risk Factors for Chronic Postoperative Pain in Orthopedic Trauma Surgery Patients

Overview

This study aims to assess multidimensional risk factors for chronic post-traumatic pain in orthopedic trauma surgery patients. The purpose is to better understand pain chronification mechanisms by quantifying the interaction between clinical, biological, therapeutic, and psychosocial factors during hospitalization, with the ultimate goal of developing a convergent model to predict patients at risk before hospital discharge.

According to the International Classification of Diseases 11th (ICD-11) classification, chronic post-traumatic pain is defined as pain persisting for more than 3 months following tissue injury. Given its physical, psychological, and social consequences, chronic pain represents a major source of disability, functional limitation, and impaired quality of life. Chronic pain frequently develops after accidental trauma, particularly in patients sustaining musculoskeletal injuries such as fractures. Traumatic fractures requiring surgical treatment are among the most common causes of severe acute pain and may result in persistent pain despite fracture healing and satisfactory surgical outcomes. Chronic post-traumatic pain following orthopedic trauma surgery is associated with prolonged functional impairment, delayed return to work, psychological distress, and decreased quality of life. Current evidence suggests that chronic post-traumatic pain results from a complex interaction between injury-related characteristics, biological vulnerability, therapeutic management, and psychosocial factors. However, these multidimensional determinants remain incompletely understood in orthopedic trauma populations. The primary objective of this study is to identify early risk factors associated with chronic post-traumatic pain. In this study, patients undergo a comprehensive multidimensional evaluation throughout hospitalization. Fracture-related characteristics, including fracture location, injury severity, surgical management, analgesic strategies, and rehabilitation pathways, as well as therapeutic management, are systematically documented. Psychosocial factors and post-traumatic symptoms are assessed during hospitalization and at 3- and 6-month follow-up visits. In addition to clinical and psychosocial assessments, biological samples are collected from hospital admission until discharge. This biological component focuses on brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). BDNF, initially described for its role in synaptic plasticity, has been increasingly implicated in central sensitization processes involved in pain chronification. By integrating clinical, biological, therapeutic, and psychosocial data, this study aims to characterize mechanisms associated with chronic post-traumatic pain and to develop a convergent predictive model to identify patients at high risk prior to hospital discharge.

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