Foot posture in female patients 5 years after breast-conserving surgery: a case-control study.

PURPOSE: Along with the improvement in the outcomes of breast cancer treatment being observed in the recent years, long-term studies to assess distant adverse effects of the treatment have become increasingly important. The objective of this study was to assess the foot posture in patients subjected to breast-conserving therapy. The assessment was made 5 years after the surgical procedure.

METHODS: 116 female patients (mean age of 58.75 years) were qualified into a case-control study. Foot posture on the operated breast side (F1) as well as on the contralateral side (F2) was evaluated using a computer-based foot analysis tool as an extension of projection moiré-based podoscopic examination. Comparisons were made for the following parameters: limb load, L-foot length, W-foot width, L/W-Wejsflog index, ALPHA-hallux valgus angle, BETA-little toe varus angle, GAMMA-heel angle, KY-Sztriter-Godunov index, CL-Clarke's angle, HW-heel width.

RESULTS: Five years after BCT, patients placed higher load on the foot on the side of the healthy breast (p = 0.0011). No statistically significant differences were observed between F1 and F2 with respect to other foot posture parameters (p > 0.05). No statistically significant differences were observed in foot posture parameters in patients having undergone BCT + ALND (axillary lymph node dissection) procedure as compared to patients subjected to BCT + SLNB (sentinel lymph node biopsy) procedure (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: No changes in foot posture were observed in patients 5 years after the BCT procedure. The type of the surgical procedure related to the lymph nodes within the axillary fossa has no effect on changes in foot posture.