Russian versions of FADI and FAAM for preoperative and postoperative assessment of the foot function

Abstract

Introduction Self-administered questionnaire recommended by international orthopaedic community is a practical instrument for use in pathological conditions related to the foot and ankle.The objective was to validate the Russian-language versions of the FADI and FAAM questionnaires to be filled out by orthopaedic patients with forefoot disorders before and after surgical treatment.Material and methods The study included 100 adult patients with forefoot disorders to be surgically treated. The average age of the patients was 52 ± 12.1 years with 97 % being females and 26 % being athletes. The  patients completed the FADI and FAAM questionnaires preoperatively and at 2 months after surgery and they were requested to fill out the SF-36 questionnaire and the LEFS scale preoperatively.Results The Cronbach's α value was 0.91 for activities of daily living and 0.94 for sports measured with both questionnaires. The reproducibility of the questionnaires was demonstrated by high ICC values (≥ 0.992) and no  changes (ES < 0.01) in stable patients. Satisfactory construct validity was confirmed by significant correlations in activities of daily living and sports activities; criterion validity was confirmed by the dorsiflexion angle in the MCP1 and the daily (p < 0.001) and sports activities (p < 0.05). Convergent validity of the FADI and FAAM was identified with correlations measured with SF-36 and LEFS. Patients with moderate/severe impairment in range of motion had worse functional status scored with the FADI and FAAM as compared with those who had no/mild impairment. A significant improvement was seen postoperatively in non-athletes (p < 0.001). Sports activity significantly improved postoperatively in athletes (p < 0.05).Discussion A limitation of the study includes the sample consisting mostly of patients with one type of  orthopaedic pathology (valgus foot). Another limitation is that the majority of patients were females, and the patients were treated in the same health care facility. We can conclude that in the future it would be advisable to test the Russian versions of the FADI and FAAM questionnaires in patients with other foot pathologies and to conduct multicenter studies using these questionnaires.Conclusion The FADI and FAAM scores measured in the Russian population showed greater sensitivity to changes in the foot/ankle joint in individuals who had indications for surgical treatment for a foot condition.