The influence of personality traits on the subjective outcome of operative hallux valgus correction.

We studied prospectively the influence of personality traits on the subjective outcome of a chevron osteotomy in 42 patients with hallux valgus. The mean age of patients was 48.3 (20-70) years. Personality traits were evaluated by the means of the Freiburg Personality Inventory (FPI-R). Three months postoperatively 37 patients were satisfied, and five patients not satisfied with the operative procedure. The preoperative AOFAS Score improved from an average of 48.7 (30-65) points to 87.9 (50-100) points. A comparison of satisfied and dissatisfied patients revealed statistically significant differences in the personality traits aggressiveness (p=0.003), extraversion (p=0.001) and health worries (p=0.04). The postoperative hallux valgus angle was 12.2+/-7.8 degrees and 13.4+/-8.3 degrees (p=0.74) among satisfied and not satisfied patients, respectively, and the intermetatarsal angle (I-II) was 7.4+/-2.5 degrees and 7.6+/-4 degrees (p=0.89), respectively. The results suggest that the patient's subjective result after the operative correction may be influenced by some individual, personality profiles.