Correlation analysis of surgical outcomes and preoperative psychological status in adolescents with polydactyly/syndactyly

This study aims to evaluate the clinical efficacy of surgical intervention for polydactyly/syndactyly in adolescents, as well as analyze the factors influencing preoperative mental health and their subsequent impact on surgical outcomes.

A retrospective study included 39 adolescent patients who underwent surgical treatment for polydactyly/syndactyly at the Department of Foot and Ankle Surgery in our hospital from February 2015 to July 2023. Basic patient information was collected, and evaluations were performed using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score and the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) scores at both preoperative and final follow-up visits.

A total of 39 patients (18 males, 21 females) completed the follow-up. The median age was 12.0 years (IQR 10.0–16.0) and the median follow-up time was 36.0 months (IQR 30.0–57.0). Compared with their preoperative baselines, VAS, AOFAS and DASS-21 scores improved significantly after surgery (P < 0.001). Significant correlations were observed among the preoperative VAS, AOFAS and DASS-21 scores (P < 0.05). However, preoperative DASS-21 scores showed no significant association with patients’ age, sex, BMI or follow-up time (P > 0.05). Moreover, the preoperative DASS-21 score did not influence the VAS or AOFAS scores at the final follow-up (P > 0.05).

Surgical treatment for adolescent polydactyly/syndactyly significantly improves foot appearance, alleviates postoperative pain, enhances foot function, and contributes to better postoperative mental health. Preoperative pain and functional impairment are closely related to preoperative mental health status, whereas the direct impact of preoperative mental health status on surgical outcomes is limited.