Abstract
Objectives
Osteoarthritis (OA) of the ankle joint is associated with life-long joint pain and disability if not appropriately managed. There is a dearth of research concerning ankle OA and the impact on those living with the condition.
Aim
To explore the experiences of people living with painful OA ankle and their views about the non-surgical management of this condition.
Design
Qualitative design, using semi-structured interviews.
Participants
Nine participants, recruited from an orthopaedic clinic at a UK hospital and the general population. All had a clinical and radiographic diagnosis of OA ankle. Interviews were digitally recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was undertaken to identify emerging themes. Ethical approval was obtained.
Results
Nine semi-structured interviews were undertaken. Eight participants were male, median age = 55 years (IQR = 42.5–64.5). Mechanism of onset was due to trauma (falls, repeated inversion injuries or road traffic collisions) (n = 7), or the effects of haemophilia (n = 2). The median duration of symptoms was 2 years (IQR = 1.5–10). Data saturation was achieved. Four themes were identified:
- Signs and symptoms
- Impact on participation
- Impact on self-identity & mental wellbeing
- Views on non-surgical management
Conclusions
This is the first study to explore the experiences of people with symptomatic OA ankle. Our findings suggest that those with OA ankle suffer with severe pain, which has a substantial negative impact on a person's physical and mental wellbeing. The findings of this study may be used to inform future research.
Abbreviations:
OA (osteoarthritis), PT (post traumatic), UK (United Kingdom), OARSI (Osteoarthritis Research Society International), COREQ (Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research), NHS (National Health Service), QoL (quality of life)