A considerable variety of outcome measurement tools are used in the foot and ankle clinical literature , with a small proportion used consistently .
The AOFAS scales continue to be used at a high rate relative to other scales that have been vali date d. Data from the present study underscore the need for a paradigm shift toward the use of consistent , valid , and reliable outcome measures for studies of foot and ankle procedures and disorders .
It is not clear which existing vali date d outcome instruments will emerge as widely used and clinical ly meaningful .
BACKGROUND In the orthopaedic literature , there is a wide range of clinical outcome measurement tools that have been used in evaluating foot and ankle procedures , disorders , and outcomes , with no broadly accepted consensus as to which tools are preferred .
The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency and distribution of the various outcome instruments used in the foot and ankle literature , and to identify trends for use of these instruments over time .
Responsiveness and minimally important change for the Manchester-Oxford foot questionnaire (MOXFQ) compared with AOFAS and SF-36 assessments following surgery for hallux valgus.
OBJECTIVES To assess responsiveness and minimally important change ( MIC ) for the Manchester-Oxford foot question naire ( MOXFQ ) using anchor and distribution-based approaches . Responsiveness and estimates of minimal clinical ly important difference ( MCID ) and minimal detectable change are compared with those from the Short-Form 36 ( SF-36 ) and American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society ( AOFAS ) measures . METHODS A prospect i ve observational study of 91 consecutive patients ( 125 foot operations ) undergoing hallux valgus surgery at an orthopaedic hospital . Pre- and 12 month post-surgery , patients completed the MOXFQ and SF-36 , and foot surgeons assessed all four AOFAS scores corresponding to four regions of the foot . Transition items were asked about perceived changes compared with before surgery . RESULTS Mean changes in all domains of each instrument were statistically significant , but foot-specific MOXFQ and AOFAS domains produced much larger effect sizes ( > 1 ) than any SF-36 domains , indicating superior responsiveness . Clear associations occurred between transition items and all MOXFQ and AOFAS scores , but with only one ( physical function ) SF-36 domain . Anchor and distribution-based approaches identified generally comparable measures of MIC , which for the MOXFQ and AOFAS domains were between 1 and 2 st and ard error of measurement . In metric terms , the MCIDs were 16 , 12 , and 24 for the MOXFQ Walking/st and ing , Pain , and Social Interaction domains , respectively . CONCLUSIONS For hallux valgus surgery , the MOXFQ is highly responsive . Performance is comparable to the AOFAS and notably better than the generic SF-36 . Study estimates of MIC for the MOXFQ are useful to inform sample -size calculations for future clinical trials
A considerable variety of outcome measurement tools are used in the foot and ankle clinical literature , with a small proportion used consistently .
The AOFAS scales continue to be used at a high rate relative to other scales that have been vali date d. Data from the present study underscore the need for a paradigm shift toward the use of consistent , valid , and reliable outcome measures for studies of foot and ankle procedures and disorders .
It is not clear which existing vali date d outcome instruments will emerge as widely used and clinical ly meaningful .
BACKGROUND In the orthopaedic literature , there is a wide range of clinical outcome measurement tools that have been used in evaluating foot and ankle procedures , disorders , and outcomes , with no broadly accepted consensus as to which tools are preferred .
The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency and distribution of the various outcome instruments used in the foot and ankle literature , and to identify trends for use of these instruments over time .