Critical Evaluation of Outcome Scales Assessment of Lateral Ankle Ligament Reconstruction

Abstract

Background: Outcome following foot and ankle surgery can be assessed by disease- and region-specific scores. Many scoring systems exist, making comparison among studies difficult. The present study focused on outcome measures for a common foot and ankle abnormality and compared the results obtained by 2 disease-specific and 2 body region-specific scores. Methods: We reviewed 41 patients who underwent lateral ankle ligament reconstruction. Four outcome scales were administered simultaneously: the Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool (CAIT) and the Chronic Ankle Instability Scale (CAIS), which are disease specific, and the American Orthopedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) hindfoot scale and the Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM), which are both body region-specific. The degree of correlation between scores was assessed by Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Nonparametric tests, the Kruskal-Wallis and the Mann-Whitney test for pairwise comparison of the scores, were performed. Results: A significant difference ( P < .005) was observed between the CAIS and the AOFAS score ( P = .0002), between the CAIS and the FAAM 1 ( P = .0001), and between the CAIT and the AOFAS score ( P = .0003). Conclusions: This study compared the performances of 4 disease- and body region-specific scoring systems. We demonstrated a correlation between the 4 administered scoring systems and notable differences between the results given by each of them. Disease-specific scores appeared more accurate than body region-specific scores. A strong correlation between the AOFAS score and the other scales was observed. The FAAM seemed a good compromise because it offered the possibility to evaluate the patient according to his or her own functional demand. Clinical Relevance: The present study contributes to the development of more critical and accurate outcome assesment methods in foot and ankle surgery.

Functional Results of All-Inside Arthroscopic Broström-Gould Surgery With 2 Anchors Versus Single Anchor

“…Although the AOFAS score is currently the most commonly used clinical score for evaluating patients undergoing foot and ankle surgery, it has never been evaluated for validity and reliability to assess ankle instability. 6 AOFAS is a clinical scoring system based on clinician observation, which is mainly used for evaluating the patient’s pain, function, and alignment. AOFAS mainly focuses on evaluation of the patient’s pain, with less emphasis on evaluation of joint stability.…”

Early Versus Delayed Mobilization Postoperative Protocols for Lateral Ankle Ligament Repair: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

“…AOFAS scores were reported in 7 studies, totaling 301 patients: 283 patients in the DM group and 18 patients in the EM group. [3][4][5]18,29,33 Preoperative AOFAS scores were only recorded in 128 patients in the DM group versus 18 patients in the EM group. The mean difference in AOFAS scores from preoperatively to postoperatively for the DM group was 25.1 ± 9.2 compared with 31.2 ± 0.0 for the EM group, indicating that the EM group had a significantly greater increase in their AOFAS score from preoperatively to postoperatively compared with the DM group (P < .001; 95% CI, 4.48-7.69) ( Table 2).…”

Clinical Guidelines for the Surgical Management of Chronic Lateral Ankle Instability: A Consensus Reached by Systematic Review of the Available Data

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“…cReferences 2, 4, 6 –9, 12, 13, 15 –17, 19, 20, 25, 28, 35, 40 –45, 51, 57, 58, 64, 67, 69, 72, 73, 76, 77, 79 –81, 85, 86, 96, 98, 109 –111, 114, 117 –119, 132, 136, 142, 144 –146, 154, 156, 164, 166, 168, 170, 174, 179, 180, 185, 191, 194, 196 –…”