Quality of Life in Young Adults after Flatfoot Surgery: A Case-Control Study

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.

Return to Physical Activity Following Flatfoot Reconstruction

“…In contrast with the few existing studies in the literature, which examine cohorts numbering around 30 to 40 patients, the 82-patient cohort in this study allows collection of activity-specific information on a greater range of activities as well as analysis of relationships between return to activity and the specific component procedures employed in surgery. [15][16][17] Moreover, the use of the Sports Questionnaire enables more thorough reporting on various aspects of returns to activity including associated changes in difficulty, frequency and duration of participation, return times to participation and maximum levels thereof, and satisfaction with respect to physical activity participation. These specific metrics are unique to this study and will allow surgeons to better counsel patients about expectations regarding specific activities.…”

“…Very little literature investigates returns to activity following flatfoot reconstruction. [15][16][17] Existing studies are limited by small sample sizes, lack of sport-specific data, and patient populations confined to 1 or 2 of the many possible procedures used in flatfoot reconstruction. Usuelli et al 17 reported the only sport-specific study on returns to activity following flexor digitorum longus (FDL) transfer to the navicular and medializing calcaneal osteotomy (MCO), finding that 86% (36/42) of patients could return to desired activities.…”

Sexuality, Quality of Life, Anxiety, Depression, and Anger in Patients with Anal Fissure. A Case–Control Study

“…Previous studies have focused on the relationship between medical diseases or mental disorders including its treatments and patients sexuality, QoL (general or health related), or selected psychological factors highlighting the relationship between these factors and clinical disorders or its treatments [ 5 , 10 , 11 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 19 , 20 , 23 , 25 , 29 , 34 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 ]. These include, sex and quality of life [ 10 ]; sexual health and dysfunction in patients with rheumatoid arthritis [ 13 ]; sexuality and mental health [ 15 ]; antipsychotic-related sexual dysfunction [ 19 ]; sexual function in chronic illness [ 20 ]; the impact of physical illness on sexual dysfunction [ 23 ]; sexual dysfunction and chronic illness [ 27 ]; sex and chronic physical illness [ 28 ]; comorbidities in male and female sexual dysfunction [ 60 ]; sexual dysfunction and mental health in patients with multiple sclerosis and epilepsy [ 29 ]; psychiatric disorders and sexual dysfunction [ 63 ]; thyroid autoimmune disease impacting on sexual function in young women [ 64 ]; clinical features associated with female genital mutilation/cutting [ 65 ]; QoL after flatfoot surgery [ 33 ]; anxiety and QoL in patients with type 2 diabetes [ 58 ]; QoL and associated psychological distress in patients with knee arthroplasty [ 59 ]; psychological factors as determinants of medical conditions [ 57 ]; sleep disturbance, depression and anxiety in frail patients with atrial fibrillation [ 61 ]; cognitive behavior counseling in preoperative preparation and enhanced recovery after surgery [ …”

“…This case–control study [ 32 , 33 , 34 ] was carried out from January 2016 to February 2017 [ 3 ]. Cases were defined as patients diagnosed with acute or chronic idiopathic AFs during the study period who wished to participate in the study and provided written informed consent for this purpose.…”

“…This case–control study [ 3 , 33 ] involved outpatients diagnosed with acute or chronic idiopathic anal fissures [ 3 ]. The variables gender (male, female) and age (years) are presented with respect to the total sample, the cases, and the controls in Table 1 .…”