Does Different Anatomical Foot/ Ankle Arthritis Affect Functional Disability Differently?

Abstract

Category: Ankle Arthritis; Ankle Introduction/ Purpose: There is paucity of literature comparing foot and general health status including quality of life between patients presenting with Ankle/ Hindfoot, Midfoot and 1st MTPJ arthritis. The aim of this study is to compare foot specific patient reported disability and quality of life satisfaction scores between patients presenting with arthritis of either the ankle/hindfoot, midfoot or 1st MTPJ. Methods: Patients who presented between 2020 and 2021 with a diagnosis of primary Osteoarthritis (OA) in either the ankle/hindfoot (AHA), midfoot (MA) or first MTPJ (MTPJA) were included in this study. Patients with associated foot problems, bilateral presentations, previous reconstructive surgery, or underlying neurological conditions were excluded. Differences in preoperative Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) including, MOX-FQ (Domains: Pain, Walking/Standing, Social activities), EQ-5D (UK) and Foot and Ankle outcomes scores (FAOS) (Domains: Pain, symptoms, ADL, sport, Recreation, Quality of Life) were analysed. Results: 94 patients (2020-2021) were included in this study (mean age 58.50). There were 45 patients with AHA, 21 with MA and 28 with MTPJA. The AHA group reported worse pain compared to the MTPJA group (p=0.03), and the MA group (p=0.004). AHA patients had more difficulty with Sports & Recreational Activities (p=0.029). Quality of Life scores was not significantly different between the groups. MTPJA patients had more difficulty with engaging in social activities compared the AHA patients (p=0.049). Conclusion: AHA patients suffer more pain that patients with arthritis in other areas of the foot. They appear to struggle with walking and standing and have difficulty participating in sports and recreational activities. Interestingly, MTPJA patients experience the most difficulty taking part in social activities. Patients with any type of foot or ankle arthritis experience similar difficulties with their mental health and their ability to carry out activities of daily living.