Comparison of the Manchester-Oxford Foot Questionnaire (MOXFQ) and the Self-Reported Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (SEFAS) in patients with foot or ankle surgery.

BACKGROUND

Patient-reported outcome measures are a critical tool in evaluating the efficacy of orthopedic procedures. The intention of this study was to compare the psychometric properties of the Manchester-Oxford Foot Questionnaire (MOXFQ) and the Self-Reported Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (SEFAS) in patients with foot or ankle surgery.

METHODS

177 patients completed both scores and FAOS, Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS), Short Form 36 (SF-36) and numeric scales for pain and disability (NRS) before and after surgery. Test-Retest reliability, internal consistency, floor and ceiling effects, construct validity, responsiveness and minimal important change were analyzed.

RESULTS

The MOXFQ and SEFAS demonstrated excellent test-retest reliability with interclass correlation coefficient values >0.9 Cronbach's alpha (α) values demonstrated strong internal consistency. No floor or ceiling effects were observed for both questionnaires. As hypothesized MOXFQ subscales correlated strongly with corresponding SEFAS, FAOS and SF-36 domains. MOXFQ subscales showed excellent responsiveness between preoperative assessment and postoperative follow-up, whereas SEFAS demonstrated moderate responsiveness.

CONCLUSIONS

The MOXFQ and SEFAS demonstrated good psychometric properties and proofed to be valid and reliable instruments for use in foot and ankle patients. MOXFQ showed better outcomes in responsiveness.