Dysfunctional personality traits and body image in orthopedic surgery patients at risk of postoperative psychological distress

Orthopedic surgery disrupts body integrity and often results in pain, reduced mobility, and temporary loss of autonomy, potentially triggering psychological distress and altered body image. Despite growing interest in postoperative psychological outcomes, the role of dysfunctional personality traits in shaping body image remains underexplored. This exploratory, cross-sectional observational study aimed to examine whether specific dysfunctional personality traits are associated with distinct aspects of body image in 53 adult orthopedic surgery patients assessed within 72 h post-surgery in a Polish hospital. The Personality Inventory for ICD-11 and the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire were used. Progressive stepwise regression analysis showed that dissociality was positively associated with appearance evaluation (β = 0.38, p < 0.01, R² = 0.13) and fitness evaluation (β = 0.36, p < 0.01, R² = 0.11). Negative affectivity was negatively associated with health evaluation (β = - 0.35, p < 0.05, R² = 0.08) and positively associated with weight evaluation (β = 0.40, p < 0.05, R² = 0.09). Anankastia was positively related to health orientation (β = 0.29, p < 0.05, R² = 0.07) and illness orientation (β = 0.31, p < 0.05, R² = 0.06). These findings suggest that dysfunctional personality traits are differentially related to body image dimensions shortly after surgery. Early personality screening may help identify patients at risk for body image disturbances and support the implementation of targeted psychological interventions, such as psychoeducational programs, to enhance emotional adjustment and, if confirmed in future research, optimize recovery outcomes.