The University of Queensland, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Physiotherapy, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.
Division of Physiotherapy, Oman College of Health Sciences, Ministry of Health, P.O. Box 3720, Muscat, PC, 112, Sultanate of Oman.
J Foot Ankle Res. 2023 Aug 16;16(1):49. doi: 10.1186/s13047-023-00649-5.
Falls are a major public health concern globally. While falls are associated with osteoarthritis and persistent pain at the hip and knee, falls have not been investigated in people with chronic ankle symptoms. This study aimed to compare self-reported history of falls between adults with and without chronic ankle symptoms. Secondary aims were to compare concern about falling and balance confidence between groups, and to identify factors associated with falling.
A total of 226 participants (134 with chronic ankle pain and/or stiffness and 92 controls) participated in this cross-sectional case-control study. Participants completed an online questionnaire about falls in the past 12 months, injuries associated with falling, concern about falling, balance confidence, function, pain and multimorbidity.
Eighty-six (64%) participants with chronic ankle symptoms and 24 (26%) controls reported at least one fall in the last 12 months (p < 0.001). Participants with chronic ankle symptoms reported more falls, more injurious falls, and more hospitalisations because of a fall than controls (p > 0.002). There was a small effect for lower balance confidence and higher concern about falling in symptomatic participants (standardised mean difference: 0.39-0.49; p > 0.017). Logistic regression analysis identified that falling was associated with the presence of ankle symptoms (3.08 (1.20, 7.92); p = 0.02) and concern about falling (odds ratio (95% confidence intervals): 1.13 (1.05, 1.23); p = 0.002).
Falls and falls-related injuries are a problem in individuals with chronic ankle symptoms. The high falls occurrence and concern about falling in individuals with chronic ankle symptoms suggest the need for clinicians to assess these factors in this population.
跌倒在全球范围内是一个主要的公共卫生问题。虽然跌倒与髋关节和膝关节的骨关节炎和持续性疼痛有关，但尚未在慢性踝关节症状患者中进行跌倒研究。本研究旨在比较有和无慢性踝关节症状的成年人报告的跌倒史。次要目的是比较两组对跌倒的担忧和平衡信心，并确定与跌倒相关的因素。
共有 226 名参与者（134 名慢性踝关节疼痛和/或僵硬，92 名对照）参加了这项横断面病例对照研究。参与者完成了一份关于过去 12 个月内跌倒、与跌倒相关的损伤、对跌倒的担忧、平衡信心、功能、疼痛和多种合并症的在线问卷。
86 名（64%）有慢性踝关节症状的参与者和 24 名（26%）对照者报告在过去 12 个月内至少有一次跌倒（p<0.001）。与对照组相比，有慢性踝关节症状的参与者报告的跌倒次数更多、更具伤害性、因跌倒而住院的次数更多（p>0.002）。在有症状的参与者中，平衡信心较低和对跌倒的担忧较高（标准化均数差：0.39-0.49；p>0.017）。逻辑回归分析表明，跌倒与踝关节症状的存在（3.08（1.20，7.92）；p=0.02）和对跌倒的担忧（比值比（95%置信区间）：1.13（1.05，1.23）；p=0.002）相关。
跌倒和与跌倒相关的损伤是慢性踝关节症状患者的一个问题。慢性踝关节症状患者中较高的跌倒发生率和对跌倒的担忧表明，临床医生有必要在该人群中评估这些因素。
