Predictors of poor pre-operative patient reported outcome measures in elective foot and ankle surgery: Analysis of 1217 patients

Patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) have become the de facto measure of success in orthopaedic publications. It has been established that preoperatively collected patient reported outcomes correlate with post-operative outcome. The aim of our research is to identify which factors predict poor pre-operative scores using the most commonly used PROMs. MOXFQ and EQ-5D scores were collected for all patients presenting for elective foot and ankle surgery over a four-year period from June 2018 to February 2022. Multivariate linear regression calculated associations between PROMs and demographics, diagnosis, pre-operative appointments and comorbidities. 1217 patients had PROMs taken, 1102 of these underwent a surgical procedure. Ankle and hindfoot arthritis predicted worse pre-operative scores. Total comorbidity number, depression/anxiety, younger patients, female gender and preoperative appointments with orthotist predicted a worse outcome score. Underlying patient characteristics can influence pre-operative PROMs in foot and ankle surgery. •Patient diagnosis and characteristics can influence scores on pre-operative MOxFQ and EQ5D.•Diagnoses of ankle and hindfoot arthritis score worst on these instruments.•Total number of comorbidities, female gender, younger patients and depression/anxiety predict lower pre-operative scores