DECODING FOOT AND ANKLE PAIN: THE ROLE OF RADIOGRAPHIC METRICS IN EARLY PREDICTION.
Main Article Content
Keywords
Ankle pain, Early prediction, Foot pain, Radiographic metrics, X-ray evaluation.
Abstract
Foot and ankle pain is a common clinical condition that can significantly impair mobility and quality of life. Early identification of individuals at risk is important, as structural changes may become irreversible once symptoms are established. Recently, radiographic metrics have emerged as potential early predictors of pain onset and progression. This review synthesises evidence from the past decade to identify radiographic parameters, particularly angular and alignment measures, associated with future foot and ankle pain. A systematic literature search was conducted across PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase for studies published between January 2015 to May 2025. Eligible studies included adult patients with suspected or early-stage foot or ankle pain, assessed using conventional radiography or hybrid imaging modalities such as SPECT-CT, and reporting pain-related outcomes. Case reports, non-English publications, and studies without clearly defined pain outcomes were excluded. Data on study design, sample size, radiographic parameters, and outcomes were extracted. Two reviewers independently screened studies, with disagreements resolved by consensus. Owing to heterogeneity in study design and outcome measures, a narrative synthesis was performed. Of 350 initially identified articles, 21 met the inclusion criteria. Frequently evaluated parameters included calcaneal pitch, hindfoot alignment angle, talar declination, and Meary’s angle. Approximately half of the studies reported significant associations between radiographic metrics and early foot or ankle pain. Limitations included measurement variability and retrospective designs. Overall, radiographic metrics show promise but require validation through standardised prospective studies before routine clinical use.
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
All articles published in JPTCP are licensed under Copyright Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Mr. Shivanshu Chauhan
PhD Scholar, Department of Radiodiagnosis, SMC, Santosh Deemed to be University, Ghaziabad Uttar Pradesh, India.
Dr. Ashish Kumar Shukla
Professor, Department of Radiodiagnosis, SMC, Santosh Deemed to be University, Ghaziabad Uttar Pradesh, India
Ms. Anshu Kumari
PhD Scholar, Department of Radiodiagnosis, SMC, Santosh Deemed to be University, Ghaziabad Uttar Pradesh, India.
Ranjeet Singh
Junior Resident, Department of Radiodiagnosis, Santosh Deemed to be University, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
Manvi Dhingra
Junior Resident, Department of Radiodiagnosis, Santosh Deemed to be University, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
Jyoti Yadav
Resident, Department of Radiodiagnosis, Santosh Deemed to be University, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
Aarushi Sabharwal
Resident, Department of Radiodiagnosis, Santosh Deemed to be University, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
