Medical rehabilitation of patients with flat feet after surgical treatment: scientometric analysis

Abstract

Background: In the postoperative rehabilitation of patients operated on for a flat foot, an important task is to relieve pain and locomotor dysfunction syndrome, since these disorders reduce the quality of life of patients, and can also lead to relapse and the appearance of new deformities. Currently, an urgent issue is the choice of rehabilitation technologies that have a high level of evidence. In order to determine the totality of such technologies, it is necessary to conduct a scientometric analysis of publications in available databases. The purpose of the study: to conduct a scientometric analysis of evidence-based studies with high methodological quality on the use of rehabilitation technologies in patients with flat feet after surgical treatment. Methods: The analysis included the publications for the period from 2000 to 2023 from 4 databases: eLibrary, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and PEDro. Publications were evaluated on a ten-point PEDro score. The level of evidence was assessed according to GOST R 56034–2014 in accordance with the Order of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation No. 103n dated 28.02.2019. Results: 4,187 unique publications on flat feet were extracted from the databases. Of these, 479 were devoted to rehabilitation and conservative treatment. The final analysis included 4 publications devoted to the conservative treatment of a flat foot. According to the results of the analysis, a decrease in pain syndrome and an improvement in the quality of life in patients were revealed with the use of physical exercises, orthotics, and myofascial release in conservative therapy of the flat foot. There was also an improvement in biomechanical parameters when using orthotics and myofascial release. The data on the effect of orthotics and physical exercises on foot deformities are contradictory. Conclusion: Due to the common pathogenesis of pain syndrome and biomechanical disorders in patients with flat feet and in patients in the postoperative period, physical exercises, orthotic insoles, and myofascial release can be used as rehabilitation techniques, but evidence of their effectiveness for this group of patients requires additional research.