Introduction: Charcot neuroarthropathy can lead to severe deformity of the foot and ankle, which can adversely impact affected individuals. Surgical reconstruction may preserve the foot and ankle along with improved function, but it is uncertain if surgical success translates to patient perception of improved health-related quality of life. Patient-reported outcome measures are tools that collect information directly reported by patients regarding their perceptions of health, quality of life, or functional status, which may identify the outcomes patients associate with a successful surgery. Methods: A consecutive series of patients undergoing Charcot reconstructive surgery using internal and/or external fixation techniques were recruited to participate. The Foot and Ankle Ability Measure and the EuroQol five dimensions questionnaires were administered pre-operatively, at time of final follow-up (~6 months) and at 1-year. Forty patients were enrolled. Results: At 1-year, 36 (90%) of the patients were successful in having the deformity corrected and walking independently on infection-free, ulcer-free feet without the need for mobility aids; there were 2 withdrawals from the study following revisional surgery, 1 amputation, and 1 death. The surgical success outcomes were matched by the patients' assessment of improvement in quality of life with 1-year patient-reported outcome data reporting a statistically improved EuroQol five dimensions Index, quality of life visual analog scale, and Foot and Ankle Ability Measure activities of daily living subscale scores at 1-year post-operatively. All questionnaire scores were improved compared to the previous time point (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: The 1-year patient-reported outcome results indicate that successful surgical reconstruction of a Charcot neuropathic deformity positively changed the patients' quality of life.
Loveland et al. (Mon,) studied this question.