The GATASS study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Gait Analysis after Talocrural Arthrodesis (ankle fusion) during Stair and Slope negotiation (The GATASS study)
IRAS ID
222967
Contact name
Michael J. CALLAGHAN
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 2 days
Research summary
Ankle fusion surgery is the most common final solution for those who have painful arthritis in their ankle. This is very successful at relieving arthritis ankle pain, but patients are worried that the fusion will alter their walking and have an impression that it will result in stiffness throughout the lower limb and a severe limp. Over the years, we have come to understand how the leg and body adapts extremely well to walking after an ankle fusion and we can pass this knowledge when counselling and reassuring those who are considering this operation. But we have no idea how the leg and body adapt to walking up and down stairs or to walking on a slope. We want understand this better so we can tell future patients what to expect when they use stairs or walk on a slope after their ankle is fused.
We will recruit participants from the clinic of a surgeon who regularly performs ankle fusion operations on those with ankle arthritis and assess stair walking and slope walking at the gait laboratory at Manchester Metropolitan University. The total time taken for each participant’s visit will be 90 minutes. This will not be 90 minutes of continuous walking because gait analysis required large amounts of time sitting down while the equipment is set up and re-calibrated after each walking test. Our primary goal is to see how walking up and down stairs and a slope is affected after someone has had an ankle fusion. We want to see if this is further altered by wearing the usual types of shoes recommended after an ankle fusion to improve walking (these are called rockerbottom shoes). Finally, we will see the differences of those with ankle fusion compared to a group of people the same age without an ankle fusion.REC name
South Central - Berkshire B Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/SC/0645
Date of REC Opinion
22 Nov 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion