Efficacy of Nursing-Led Physiotherapy for Post-Surgical Foot and Ankle Outcomes in Haglund Deformity: A Pilot Study

This pilot study aimed to evaluate the preliminary impact of a nursing-led physiotherapy protocol on foot and ankle outcomes in patients undergoing resection of Haglund deformity. This quasi-experimental pre-posttest study with a control group followed Transparent Reporting of Evaluations with Nonrandomized Designs guidelines and was conducted in the physiotherapy units of the Main University Hospital and Nariman Hospital in Alexandria, Egypt. A convenience sample of 60 adult patients (30 in a study group and 30 in a control group) participated. Data collection tools included a demographic and clinical data interview schedule and the Foot and Ankle Outcome Score. The structured physiotherapy intervention showed potential benefits in improving health-related measures in the study group compared to the control group. Pain scores in the study group decreased from a mean of 24.20 (SD = 0.96) pre-intervention to 5.57 (SD = 2.24) post-intervention (T2 = 40.127, p < 0.001), while the control group showed minimal change. Other symptom scores dropped from 26.47 (SD = 3.05) to 9.50 (SD = 2.64) (T2 = 13.743, p < 0.001). Activities of daily living improved, with scores decreasing from 49.77 (SD = 7.74) to 12.33 (SD = 4.16) (T2 = 44.118, p < 0.001). Sports and recreation scores fell from 15.00 (SD = 2.23) to 4.93 (SD = 1.84) (T2 = 26.276, p < 0.001), and quality of life improved from 12.47 (SD = 2.08) to 4.00 (SD = 1.36) (T2 = 28.825, p < 0.001). The total foot and ankle outcome score also improved significantly, decreasing from 127.90 (SD = 9.65) to 36.33 (SD = 5.50) (T2 = 65.093, p < 0.001). Findings from this pilot study suggest that a structured postoperative physiotherapy protocol may contribute to pain reduction and improved recovery following Haglund deformity resection. However, these results should be considered preliminary, and further research using randomized controlled trials is needed to validate these findings before drawing definitive clinical recommendations.