Abstract
The true impact of surgery for flatfoot deformities on patient’s quality of life and health status remains poorly defined. The aim of this study is to evaluate the quality of life and the return to daily tasks and sports or physical activities in young adults after surgical correction of flatfoot deformity. Patients treated for bilateral symptomatic flat foot deformity were retrospectively studied. The healthy control group comprised a matched reference population with no history of foot surgery or trauma that was voluntary recruited from the hospital community. All subjects were asked to fill out questionnaires centered on the assessment of the health-related quality of life (Short-form 36; SF-36) and physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaire; IPAQ). Most study group SF-36 subscales were lower when compared to the control group. Among the study group, post-operatively, 36.6% of patients managed to resume low levels of sports activity, 40% were sufficiently active and were able to perform moderate sports activity (an activity that requires moderate physical effort and which forces the patient to breathe with a frequency only moderately higher than normal), while 23.3% of them were active or very active and were able to perform intense physical activity. Most IPAQ scores were statistically different from the control group. The present study suggests that patients treated with medializing calcaneal osteotomy and navicular-cuneiform arthrodesis for symptomatic flafoot had lower levels of quality of life and physical activity when compared to healthy subjects. After surgery, patients showed a significant improvement in the clinical scores.
Highlights
Flaftoot deformity is a complex disease characterized by the decrease of the medial longitudinal arch and the valgus deformity of the hindfoot
Patients were invited to participate in the study if they fulfilled all of the following criteria: patients aged between 16 and 29 years, closure of the ossification cores, history of symptomatic flatfoot deformity surgically treated with medializing calcaneal osteotomy and navicular-cuneiform arthrodesis, at least 12 months follow-up after reconstruction
A sample of patients and matched reference subjects was available at the last follow-up and was included in this study
Summary
Flaftoot deformity is a complex disease characterized by the decrease of the medial longitudinal arch and the valgus deformity of the hindfoot. There is a paucity of data regarding the epidemiology of adult flatfoot, this condition seems to be very common among the world population [1]. It is estimated that it affects 5 million people in the United. While in the UK, its prevalence among females over 40 years old is over 3% [2]. The prevalence of flatfoot among adults is 3–10% [3]. Pediatric flatfoot deformities tend to spontaneously correct during the first decade of life and generally do not need specific treatment [4]. Flat feet can allow for a normal quality of life or it can become progressively symptomatic, causing pain and disability. Symptomatic deformities may negatively affect quality of life, autonomy, and personal well-being [5]
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