Abstract
Introduction Swelling is a common complication following a foot and ankle surgery, and is one of the most prevalent complaints that patients present at the clinics. While it affects patients’ satisfaction, the relevance between the swelling and clinical outcome remains unclear. Material and Methods This study assessed volume of foot and ankle swelling in 112 patients with history of ankle fusion, the patients’ Foot Function Index (FFI) score, and patients’ satisfaction. The relationships between swelling volume and early outcomes were analysed with Pearson’s correlation coefficient and a scatter plot. Results The mean of swelling volume increase was 120.0 ± 96.2 ml (range 5 ~ 400 ml); pre-operative FFI score mean was 73.7 ± 4.8 % (range 68 % ~ 81 %), 3 months post-operative FFI score mean was 32.8 ± 5.0 % (range 22 % ~ 56 %) and satisfaction scale’s median was 1 (satisfied). In the correlation analysis, while the meaningful Pearson’s correlation coefficient was found with satisfaction scale, swelling volume showed a weak correlation of Pearson’s correlation test with FFI scores (R value = 0.190; p value = 0.045). Conclusions This study revealed that the swelling of the foot and ankle following ankle fusion surgery are not associated with functional clinical outcome. However, because it affects the patients’ satisfaction, we emphasize the need to identify the problem and management of the swelling, while assuring them that the swelling does not correlate with the early functional outcome.
Highlights
Swelling is a common complication following a foot and ankle surgery, and is one of the most prevalent complaints that patients present at the clinics
A retrospective study was conducted involving patients with history of ankle fusion surgery due to primary end-stage ankle osteoarthritis, who presented to the foot-and-ankle clinic at Hasan Sadikin Hospital, Bandung, Indonesia, from January 2017 to December 2019
We found Foot Function Index (FFI) scores’ improvement in all patients, and the improvement ranged from 15 % to 53 %, with a mean of 40.9 ± 6.53 %
Summary
Swelling is a common complication following a foot and ankle surgery, and is one of the most prevalent complaints that patients present at the clinics. While it affects patients’ satisfaction, the relevance between the swelling and clinical outcome remains unclear. Swelling is one of the prevalent reasons for patient’s visit to the foot and ankle clinics along with pain, deformity, stiffness, instability, or abnormal gait. It has been reported that foot swelling disappeared at 18.6 weeks after tibial fracture in 50 % of patients. It persisted in a small percentage of patients after 2 years or more [3]. Clinical relevance between the amount of swelling and the functional clinical outcome is uncertain
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
