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.