Table 2 Content of clinical assessment: clinical interview, physical examination and self-complete questionnaire
Concept | Measurement method | Detail |
|---|---|---|
Clinical Interview | ||
Pre-assessment screening: | Â | Â |
   Screen for clinical "red flags" | Recent significant foot or hand injury Recent sudden change in foot symptoms |  |
   Screen for joint surgery | History of joint operations |  |
Foot pain characteristics | Side of pain | Â |
| Â | Comparative severity of bilateral symptoms | Â |
| Â | Duration | Within 12 months, 1-5 years, 5-10 years, 10+ years (for each foot) |
| Â | Preceding accident/injury | Yes/no |
| Â | Foot pain/aching/discomfort in last month | Yes/no |
Foot pain quality | Short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire [47] | 15 sensory and affective descriptors |
Sleep disturbance | Self-report | Yes/no |
Sensory disturbance | Self-reported tingling/numbness/pins and needles | Yes/no (for each foot) |
Causal attribution | What do you think has caused the problem with your foot/feet? | Recorded verbatim |
Diagnostic attribution | What do you think is the matter with your foot/feet now? | Recorded verbatim |
Foot surgery | Details of any foot surgery | Nature of surgery Right/left < 1 year, 1- < 5 years, 5- < 10 years, 10+ years ago |
Foot/ankle injury | Details of foot/ankle injury | Sprain, fracture, other Right/left; forefoot, mid-foot, heel, ankle < 1 year, 1- < 5 years, 5- < 10 years, 10+ years ago |
Planned treatment | Are you waiting for any appointments or treatments for this foot or ankle problem? | Yes/no (free text comments for yes) |
Importance of health problems | What would you consider to be your two most important health problems at the moment? [Includes foot problem] | Recorded verbatim |
Physical examination | ||
Screen for clinical "red flags" | Acutely, swollen, hot, painful feet or hands | Yes/no (free text for comments) |
Observation | Skin lesions | Bunionette, hyperkeratotic lesions, ulcers (plantar and dorsal aspect) |
Toe deformity | MTPJ and interphalangeal joint hyperextension Mallet toe, hammer toe, claw toe, retracted toe | Present/absent (great toe) Present/absent (lesser toes) |
Palpation | Mid-foot bony exostosis Plantar fascia tenderness | Present/absent Present/absent (insertion and mid-arch) |
Foot posture | Foot Posture Index [50] | Six-criterion scoring system |
| Â | Navicular Height [49] | Millimetres |
| Â | Foot Length [51] | Millimetres |
| Â | Weightbearing footprint. Length of footprint excluding toes is divided into equal thirds. Arch index = area of middle third divided by area of entire footprint | |
Range of movement (foot/ankle) | Ankle dorsiflexion (with knee flexed and extended) [53] | Degrees |
| Â | Subtalar inversion [52] | Degrees |
| Â | Subtalar eversion [52] | Degrees |
| Â | 1st MTP joint dorsiflexion [54] | Degrees |
Knee valgus/varus deformity | Intercondylar distance | Centimetres |
| Â | Intermalleolar distance | Centimetres |
Anthropometric measurements | Height | Metres |
| Â | Weight | Kilograms |
Lower limb physical function | Short physical performance battery (SPPB) [57] | Standing balance test, timed repeated chair stand test, 4-metre gait speed test |
Hand osteoarthritis | Deformity, enlargement, swelling, nodes [55] | Observation and palpation: swelling (MCPJ), nodes (PIPJ and DIPJ), deformity and enlargement (1st CMCJ, PIPJ and DIPJ) |
Hand function | Power grip strength (Jamar dynanometer) [56] | Pounds |
| Â | Pinch grip strength (B&L pinch gauge) [56] | Pounds |
Self-complete questionnaire | ||
Section A: Foot Pain | Â | Â |
Foot pain chronicity | Chronic Pain Grade [59] | 6 questions (0-10 NRS) and 1 question (4 response options) giving grade I-IV |
Complaint-specific functioning | Symptom satisfaction [64] | 5-point Likert scale (Very dissatisfied to Very satisfied) |
Section B: Hand pain and problems | ||
Hand pain characteristics | Hand pain in last 12 months Side of pain Duration in past 12 months Hand pain, aching, stiffness in last month [55] | Present/absent < 7 days, 1-4 weeks, 1-3 months, 3+ months No days, few days, some days, most days, all days |
| Â | Hand pain intensity in last month [40] | 0-10 NRS with verbal anchors (no pain, pain as bad as could be) |
| Â | Location: self-completed hand manikin [60] | In the past month, have you had any ache or pain that has lasted for one day or longer in your hand? If yes, shade location on hand manikin |
| Â | Â | Pain and stiffness sub-scales |
Complaint-specific functioning | Physical function sub-scale | |
Hand dominance | Self-report | Right, left, both |
Healthcare use | GP consultation within last 12 months for hand problem | Â |
Section C: Hip pain | Â | Â |
Hip pain characteristics | Side of pain | Both, right, left |
| Â | Duration in past 12 months | < 7 days, 1-4 weeks, 1-3 months, 3+ months |
| Â | Hip pain, aching, stiffness in last month [61] | No days, few days, some days, most days, all days. |
| Â | WOMAC (hip) [62] | Pain and stiffness sub-scales |
Complaint-specific functioning | WOMAC (hip) [62] | Physical function sub-scale |
Healthcare use | GP consultation within last 12 months for hip pain | Â |
Section D: Knee pain | Â | Â |
Knee pain characteristics | Side of pain | Both, right, left |
| Â | Duration in past 12 months | < 7 days, 1-4 weeks, 1-3 months, 3+ months |
| Â | Knee pain, aching, stiffness in last month [63] | No days, few days, some days, most days, all days. |
| Â | WOMAC (knee) [62] | Pain and stiffness sub-scales |
Complaint-specific functioning | WOMAC (knee) [62] | Physical function sub-scale |
Healthcare use | GP consultation within last 12 months for knee pain | Â |