The scales of evaluation of results are generally elaborated in English and directed to the use of that population. To be used internationally, the scales must be translated and culturally adapted to the language of the country in which they will be applied.

In 1994, a committee of the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) developed an evaluation system for the different anatomical regions of the foot, giving rise to four scales that generate a score. Check out what these scales are and what they measure.

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  • Ankle and hindfoot: this score can be used to assess the levels of the ankle joint, subtalar, talonavicular, and calcaneocuboid and can be useful for fractures, arthroplasty, arthrodesis, and instability procedures.
  • Midfoot: used to assess intercuneiform levels, lateral-cuboid cuneiform, naviculocuneiform, and tarsometatarsal and may be useful for fractures and arthrodesis procedures.
  • Metatarsophalangeal joint (MTF) and interphalangeal (IF) of the hallux: can be used to assess levels of the first metatarsal, metatarsophalangeal (MTF) joint, proximal phalanx, distal phalanx, and interphalangeal joint and can be useful for hallux valgus, hallux varus, MTF arthrosis, interphalangeal hallux valgus, claw finger, mallet finger, MTF arthrodesis, cheilectomy, MTF arthroplasty with an implant, MTF resection arthroplasty, MTF instability or dislocation and intra-articular or extra-articular fractures of the first metatarsal and phalanx.
  • MTF and IF of the minor fingers: this score can be used to assess metatarsals 2-5, MTF joints 2-5, proximal, medial, and distal phalanges 2-5, proximal interphalangeal joints 2-5, and distal interphalangeal joints 2-5, and can be useful for the hammer finger, mallet finger, claw finger, bunion, toe disorders in varus or valgus, MTF arthrosis, osteonecrosis, cheilectomy, MTF arthroplasty with an implant, MTF resection arthroplasty, MTF instability or dislocation, IF instability or dislocation, and intra-articular or extra-articular fractures of the metatarsus and phalanx.

The questionnaires developed for this evaluation have questions divided into three categories: pain, functional aspects, and alignment, where each item has a value, totaling 100 points.

The authors of the AOFAS scale preferred not to relate the numerical values to "Excellent", "Good", "Regular" and "Terrible", as they do not identify which criterion was used for the final graduation, thus, such designations can generate confusion of results.

How to use AOFAS scales in Ninsaúde Apolo?

The medical software Ninsaúde Apolo has the functionality of form templates, where the health professional can include questionnaires that will be used in the care. These questionnaires are for the professional to perform a better investigation and documentation of the patient's symptoms and problems, in a practical and agile way. With the form ready, just add the answers.  You can learn more about this feature in our article "Ninsaúde Apolo forms: a tool for all specialties".

The healthcare professional can create their forms by accessing the Form Templates menu and then pressing the New button, which is on the upper right side of the screen. If you prefer, you can import our model which is available on the Import button, just search for your specialty and select the desired form.

In the area of forms, health professionals in the area of Orthopedics and Traumatology will have several scores available for download, including the AOFAS scales mentioned in this article. The forms of Ninsaúde Apolo also have the calculated field, for this reason, when selecting the answers given by the patient, the health professional obtains the score result automatically, without the need to perform calculations manually. Observe in the example below how it works:

As new appointments are made for the same patient, using the same form, the health professional can use the Graphics tab to make a comparison between the results obtained. The graph can be viewed in a row, column, or even table formats:

Are you interested in the features of Ninsaúde Apolo, but are not yet a user of the software? Contact us through our website and request a call from our sales team.

Source: Orthotoolkit | SciELO