Arthritis Research UK Primary Care Centre, Primary Care Sciences, Keele University, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG, UK.
J Foot Ankle Res. 2011 Sep 5;4:22. doi: 10.1186/1757-1146-4-22.
Symptomatic osteoarthritis (OA) affects approximately 10% of adults aged over 60 years. The foot joint complex is commonly affected by OA, yet there is relatively little research into OA of the foot, compared with other frequently affected sites such as the knee and hand. Existing epidemiological studies of foot OA have focussed predominantly on the first metatarsophalangeal joint at the expense of other joints. This three-year prospective population-based observational cohort study will describe the prevalence of symptomatic radiographic foot OA, relate its occurrence to symptoms, examination findings and life-style-factors, describe the natural history of foot OA, and examine how it presents to, and is diagnosed and managed in primary care.
All adults aged 50 years and over registered with four general practices in North Staffordshire, UK, will be invited to participate in a postal Health Survey questionnaire. Respondents to the questionnaire who indicate that they have experienced foot pain in the preceding twelve months will be invited to attend a research clinic for a detailed clinical assessment. This assessment will consist of: clinical interview; physical examination; digital photography of both feet and ankles; plain x-rays of both feet, ankles and hands; ultrasound examination of the plantar fascia; anthropometric measurement; and a further self-complete questionnaire. Follow-up will be undertaken in consenting participants by postal questionnaire at 18 months (clinic attenders only) and three years (clinic attenders and survey participants), and also by review of medical records.
This three-year prospective epidemiological study will combine survey data, comprehensive clinical, x-ray and ultrasound assessment, and review of primary care records to identify radiographic phenotypes of foot OA in a population of community-dwelling older adults, and describe their impact on symptoms, function and clinical examination findings, and their presentation, diagnosis and management in primary care.
症状性骨关节炎（OA）影响了大约 10%的 60 岁以上成年人。足部关节复合体通常受到 OA 的影响，但与膝部和手部等经常受影响的部位相比，对足部 OA 的研究相对较少。现有的足部 OA 流行病学研究主要集中在第一跖趾关节，而忽略了其他关节。这项为期三年的前瞻性基于人群的观察性队列研究将描述有症状的放射学足部 OA 的患病率，将其发生与症状、检查结果和生活方式因素相关联，描述足部 OA 的自然史，并研究其在初级保健中的表现、诊断和管理方式。
英国北斯塔福德郡的四个全科医生诊所将邀请所有 50 岁及以上的成年人参加一项邮寄健康调查问卷调查。对问卷做出回答且表示在过去 12 个月中经历过足部疼痛的受访者将被邀请参加研究诊所进行详细的临床评估。该评估将包括：临床访谈、体格检查、双脚和踝关节的数字摄影、双脚、踝关节和手部的普通 X 光片、足底筋膜的超声检查、人体测量和进一步的自我完成问卷。在同意参与的参与者中，通过邮寄问卷在 18 个月（仅限诊所就诊者）和 3 年（诊所就诊者和调查参与者）进行随访，并通过审查医疗记录进行随访。
这项为期三年的前瞻性流行病学研究将结合调查数据、全面的临床、X 光和超声评估以及初级保健记录的审查，以确定社区居住的老年人群中足部 OA 的放射学表型，并描述其对症状、功能和临床检查结果的影响，以及其在初级保健中的表现、诊断和管理方式。
