Preoperative Pain Catastrophizing and Its Association With Postoperative Pain After Lower Limb Trauma Surgery

The Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) is a psychometric tool to identify PC. A positive correlation between PCS scores and various pain outcomes has been reported in acute and chronic pain settings. Preoperative catastrophizing is associated with an increased intensity of postoperative pain and more analgesic consumption. Likewise, a recent meta-analysis revealed that PC is a strong predictor of persistent postsurgical pain. The Nepali version of PCS has been validated recently in patients with chronic pain. However, it has not been used in patients with acute pain. Therefore, our aim is to assess the relationship between preoperative Nepali PCS (N-PCS) scores and postoperative pain intensity and total opioid consumption in patients with musculoskeletal trauma planned for surgery.