Gait Parameters and Postoperative Pain Following Total Ankle Arthroplasty Using Wearable Motion Sensors: A Cross-Sectional Study
Abstract
Objectives Total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) is increasingly performed to alleviate pain and improve function in patients with end-stage ankle osteoarthritis. This study aimed to evaluate the gait characteristics of patients with TAA using a motion sensor-based system and to investigate the relationship between postoperative pain and gait parameters. Methods This cross-sectional study included patients at least three months post-TAA. The evaluated parameters included sex, age, postoperative period, and the dorsiflexion/plantarflexion range of motion (ROM) of the ankle. Gait analysis was performed using a six-axis inertial sensor attached to both shoes to measure stride speed, heel-strike angle, toe-off angle (TOA), pronation angle, foot progression angle, vertical height, swing width, and stride length normalized to height. Pain was assessed using the Self-Administered Foot Evaluation Questionnaire (SAFE-Q). Comparisons were made between the surgical and contralateral sides, and the correlations between pain scores and measured angles were examined. Results Thirty-eight patients (mean age: 76 ± 5 years) were evaluated. The surgical side demonstrated significantly lower TOA (48.9° vs. 59.0°) and plantarflexion ROM (35.5° vs. 49.6°) compared with the contralateral side (p < 0.001). Although the pain scores showed no correlation with ROM, TOA on the surgical side showed a positive correlation with pain scores (r = 0.379, p < 0.05). Conclusions The surgical side exhibited reduced…
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Evidence Hub reads this as a cross-sectional, done in people. Its evidence level is 4 of 5 (Low · observational). Observational designs can show an association but not prove cause.
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