Epidemiological profile of orthopedic foot and ankle surgeries before and after the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the epidemiological profile of orthopedic foot and ankle surgeries, comparing the volume and distribution of procedures performed in the pre- and post-COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This is an observational, retrospective, and descriptive study, with a quantitative approach, based on the analysis of institutional records of orthopedic foot and ankle surgeries performed between 2017 and 2023. The data were grouped into two periods: pre-pandemic (2017–2019) and post-pandemic (2021-2023), excluding 2020 because elective procedures were suspended following the World Health Organization’s announcement of the COVID 19 pandemic. Results: A total of 742 orthopedic foot and ankle surgeries were analyzed. Of the total, 649 procedures (87.4%) occurred in the prepandemic period and 93 (12.5%) in the post-pandemic period, corresponding to an 85.7% reduction in surgical volume. There was a sharp drop in 2021, followed by a partial recovery in 2022. Fractures remained the main surgical indication in both periods, while elective procedures, especially corrections of forefoot deformities, showed a disproportionate reduction in the post-pandemic period. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly reduced orthopedic foot and ankle surgeries, with surgical activity remaining lower in the post-pandemic period than in the pre-pandemic period. Level of Evidence IV; Retrospective observational study.