Background: Conservative treatment is the first-line approach for Müller-Weiss disease (MWD). However, factors associated with the failure of conservative treatment have never been reported. Our objectives were to compare the differences in demographic and radiographic parameters between "successful" and "failure" conservative treatment in patients with MWD and identify descriptive factors associated with failure conservative treatment.
Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 68 patients with MWD divided into 29 "failure" and 39 "successful" conservative treatment groups. Demographic characteristics, Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS), visual analog scale (VAS) scores for pain and walking disability, and radiographic parameters such as calcaneal pitch, lateral Meary, anteroposterior (AP) Meary angle, and talonavicular-naviculocuneiform arthritis were compared. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify descriptive factors of failure conservative treatment. A P value <.05 was considered a statistically significant difference.
Results: We found more severe VAS pain and walking disability scores and FAOS for the pain, activities of daily living, and quality of life subscales in the failure group (P < .05). Regression analysis demonstrated 2 significant descriptive factors associated with failure conservative treatment: abducted AP Meary angle >13.0 degrees and radiographic talonavicular arthritis. No demographic characteristics were found to be associated with failure conservative treatment.
Conclusion: Midfoot abduction (AP Meary angle, >13 degrees) and radiographic talonavicular arthritis were factors associated with failure conservative treatment in MWD and should be determined concurrently with the clinical severity. Classification systems for MWD should include these factors.
Level of evidence: Level III, retrospective comparative study.
Keywords: Müller-Weiss disease; descriptive factors; failure of conservative treatment.