The Major Extremity and Rehabilitation Research Consortium (METRC 3): Emerging Investigators

Over 200,000 individuals who sustain lower extremity trauma each year develop persistent pain and disability. Despite these poor outcomes, few studies have identified risk factors or profiles that can help surgeons identify these patients early in their care to allow for appropriate preventative intervention. Modifiable psychosocial factors and objective measurements such as quantitative sensory testing (QST) may predict the transition from acute to chronic pain and physical performance outcomes. Our goal is to identify modifiable psychosocial factors and QST measures that predict 12-month pain and physical function outcomes. Patients who sustain LE trauma requiring surgical fixation will be administered psychosocial surveys at 2-weeks, 6- weeks, 3-months, 6-months, and 12-months after definitive surgical fixation with QST coupled at key intervals. Twelve-month physical performance testing will also be performed. Identifying psychosocial factors and QST characteristics that predict long-term outcomes will open avenues for targeting high-risk patients early with mechanistic, multidisciplinary treatment platforms aimed at preventing chronic pain and long-term disability. We aim to use data gathered from this investigation to drive larger, prospective intervention-based studies to ultimately decrease the prevalence of chronic pain and improve long-term disability.