Operative versus nonoperative treatment in children with painful rigid flatfoot and talocalcaneal coalition

Table 2 Comparison between baseline and latest follow-up AOFAS-AHS in the nonoperative and operative groups. The results are expressed as estimated means

Clinical outcome	Group A (nonoperative)			Group B (operative)			p-value
Clinical outcome	baseline	follow-up	MD	baseline	follow-up	MD	p-value
AOFAS-AHS pain	28 (26–29)	30* (28–32)	2 (− 1–5)	28 (26–30)	37** (34–39)	9 (6–12)	*.002*
AOFAS-AHS function	42 (41–43)	43* (41–45)	1 (− 1–3)	42 (40–43)	47** (45–49)	6 (4–8)	*.04*
AOFAS-AHS alignment	1 (0–2)	5** (4–6)	4 (3–6)	1 (0–2)	10** (9–11)	9 (7–10)	*.001*
AOFAS-AHS total	70 (68–73)	78** (74–82)	8 (3–12)	71 (68–73)	94** (89–98)	24 (19–29)	*< .0005*

The estimated means were adjusted by inverse probability of treatment weights (IPTW) and follow-up duration (covariates were calculated at 6.5 years of follow-up), using the patient as random effect to avoid violation of the principle of independence in bilateral cases. 95% confidence interval of the estimated mean is reported in brackets
MD = Mean Difference between baseline and latest follow-up AOFAS-AHS
The asterisks refer to the statistical difference between baseline and follow-up values within the same group. *: difference is significant at p < .05. **: difference is significant at p < .0005
The P-value in the last column is referred to the statistical difference between the MD of the two groups

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