Evaluation of the early and long term orthopedic complications caused by combat injuries to Ankle-Foot in Iranian Veterans

Introduction: More than 10,000 people have suffered one or more injuries to the ankleand foot in the Iran-Iraq war (1988–1980). According to past studies, if treatment andrehabilitation of the ankle and foot are not carried out carefully, it may ultimately causesecondary complications to the person›s other lower extremity and spine.Materials and methods: A descriptive and analytic cross-sectional study was carried out in11 provinces in veterans with ankle and foot disorders in the years 2012 to 2015 by usingthe method of health needs assessment. The data gathering tool was 8 questionnaires. Inthis paper, the results of the musculoskeletal assessment questionnaire have been analyzedwhich were completed by specialists of orthopedic surgeons, physiatrists, physiotherapists,and orthotists.Results: 1192 veterans participated in this study. The mean age of participants was ± 52.038.24 years and nearly two thirds of them were overweight or obese. After primary surgeryup to the time of the study, a total of 1096 complementary surgeries were performed onthe right and left ankle and foot of the veterans and %46.3( 523) patients did not sufferany other war related musculo-skeletal injuries except ankle and foot disorders. Leg lengthdiscrepancy and drop foot were the most common disorder caused by war in this group. Low back pain was the main reason for referring to the physician (%51.1), followed by kneepain (%41.4) and then ankle (%37.0). Only %22.5 of veterans at the time of the study usedankle and foot orthosis.Conclusion: Based on the results of this study and similar studies, the early and long-termorthopedic complications due to war related ankle and foot injuries in this group arenumerous which leads to pain, disturbances in walking, and ultimately a decrease in theirquality of life. The lack of awareness of the veterans and the rehabilitation team in the use,prescription, and provision of appropriate interventions such as orthoses has led to severalsecondary complications in this group and imposed heavy economic and social burdens onthem, family and society.