Article

Hallux valgus is a common chronic condition affecting up to a third
of the population. Progressive disruption to the complex anatomy of the first ray
involving metatarsal, sesamoids and hallux impose both structural and functional
alteration to the foot which underpin the secondary pathologies associated with
this condition. It is common for patients to seek correction of the deformity in
order to alleviate pain and improve footwear tolerance. Surgical intervention
remains the only viable means to restore osseous alignments. To date there
remains no universally accepted standards for procedure selection. METHODS: : A
total of 179 consecutive participants were recruited into the study. Ethical
approval was obtained and all participants consented to participate in the study,
in accordance with the Helsinki Declaration. All patients attending the
Department of Podiatric Surgery, between July 2004 and October 2007 for the
surgical management of hallux valgus were invited to complete a Foot Health
Status Questionnaire. Pre-operative data collection on all participants was
undertaken on the day of admission, using the validated Foot Health Status
Questionnaire measurement tool as with previous studies. RESULTS: : A total of
179 complete data sets were recorded in this longitudinal study with an average
participant age of 49.4 years (SD 14.5). The group comprised 164 females and 15
males. The mean days for administration of the Foot Health Status Questionnaire
post operative follow up was 1045 days (149 weeks or 2.9 years). The results
demonstrated that within all four foot specific domains, the minimal important
differences were achieved by the majority of the group. Meanwhile, in domains
relating to general health, physical activity, vigour and social capacity, the
majority of participants failed to attain the calculated minimal important
difference (94 [53%], 96 [54%], 93 [52%], 93 [52%], respectively). CONCLUSIONS: :
The authors have presented for the first time minimal important difference for
all eight domains for the Foot Health Status Questionnaire quality of life tool
in respect to hallux valgus surgery. Results demonstrate that surgical correction
of hallux valgus undertaken under local anaesthetic as a Day Case procedure is an
effective intervention directly benefiting patients by reducing perceived foot
pain, improving foot function and general foot health for the majority of
patients.
CI - Copyright (c) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS