Work

Psychological status and clinical outcomes in ankle arthrodesis: preoperative predictors and postoperative changes

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Purpose: The aim of this study is to investigate the psychological status of patients with end-stage ankle osteoarthritis (OA), and to evaluate the impact of ankle arthrodesis (AA) on the patients' psychological condition, as well as the influence of preoperative anxiety and depression symptoms on the clinical outcomes after AA surgery. Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted on 62 patients with end-stage ankle OA who underwent AA treatment at our hospital from January 2019 to December 2024. Based on the patients' preoperative psychological status, they were divided into two groups: those with symptoms of anxiety/depression were included in Group A, and those without symptoms of anxiety/depression were included in Group B. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score, and the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain were used to evaluate the patients before surgery and at the final follow-up. Independent sample t-tests and chi-square tests were used for between-group comparisons, and paired sample t-tests were used for within-group pre-post comparisons. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Of the 62 patients with end-stage ankle OA who were fully followed up, 30 had symptoms of anxiety/depression before surgery, a prevalence rate of up to 48%. All evaluation indicators for patients in Groups A and B improved significantly after AA surgery compared to before surgery, but the overall prognosis for Group A was worse than Group B. Conclusion: AA can effectively improve patients' pain, functional activity, and psychological condition, and there is a significant correlation between the patients' preoperative psychological status and the prognosis.

Source: Frontiers in Psychiatry

DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1691593

Authors: ZhanHua Zhang, ShiHang Cao, Yi Li, Jun Lu, Dong Hu, JunKui Xu

Institution: Xi'an Jiaotong University

Language: English

Topic: Foot and Ankle Surgery

Subfield: Orthopedics and Sports Medicine

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,801