The relationship between hindfoot and forefoot kinematics is an important factor in the planning of ankle arthrodesis and ankle arthroplasty surgery. As more severe ankle deformities are corrected, improved techniques are required to assess and plan hindfoot to forefoot balancing.

Gait analysis has previously been reported in patients with ankle arthritis without deformity. This group of patients have reduced intersegment motion in all measured angles. We have looked at a small group of patients with hindfoot deformity and ankle arthritis awaiting fusion or replacement.

Using the Oxford Foot Model we have assessed lower limb kinematics with a focus on hindfoot to forefoot relationships. The results of our pilot study are in variance to previous studies in that we have shown that in the presence of hindfoot/ankle deformity, the forefoot range of motion increases. We feel that these data may impact on surgical planning.

Aims

The surgical management of ankle arthritis with tibiotalar arthrodesis is known to alter gait, as compared with normal ankles. The purpose of this study was to assess post-operative gait function with gait before arthrodesis.

It has been suggested that extracorporeal shockwave therapy is a safe and effective treatment for pain relief from recalcitrant plantar fasciopathy (PF). However, the changes in gait and associated biomechanical parameters have not been well characterised. We recruited 12 female patients with recalcitrant PF who had a mean age of 59 years (50 to 70) and mean body mass index of 25 kg/m² (22 to 30). The patients reported a mean duration of symptoms of 9.3 months (6 to 15). Shockwave therapy consisting of 1500 impulses (energy flux density 0.26 mJ/mm²) was applied for three sessions, each three weeks apart. A pain visual analogue scale (VAS) rating, plantar pressure assessment and motion analysis were carried out before and nine weeks after first shock wave therapy. It was demonstrated that patients increased their walking velocity and cadence as well indicating a decrease in pain after shockwave therapy. In the symptomatic foot, the peak contact pressure over the forefoot increased and the contact area over the digits decreased. The total foot impulse also decreased as did stance duration. The duration the centre of pressure remained in the hindfoot increased in the symptomatic foot after shockwave therapy. The differences in centre of pressure trajectory at baseline decreased at final follow-up. In conclusion, shockwave therapy not only decreased the pain VAS rating but also improved the gait parameters of the symptomatic foot in PF patients.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B:1088–93.