Testing the feasibility of comparing foot orthoses and education added to usual care versus usual care alone for people with ankle osteoarthritis

Usual care plus foot orthoses and education intervention: Participants will receive two pairs of prefabricated contoured foot orthoses with inbuilt arch support and varus wedging that are fitted to participants and the shoes they most commonly wear. Participants will be offered up to 3 face-to-face appointments to fit the orthoses and make adjustments for comfort. They will be provided with verbal and written information on using and adapting to the orthoses, and encouraged to wear the orthoses as much as possible. Participants will also receive verbal and written education (specifically designed for the study) about their ankle OA including information about the anatomy of the ankle; explaining ankle OA, symptoms, diagnosis, imaging and contributing factors; guidelines for OA management and physical activity; the role and importance of exercise; and strategies to manage symptoms. The first appointment will be approximately 1 hour in length, and the following up appointments will be approximately 30 minutes in length. Appointments will be separated by approximately 1-2 weeks. Participants will be asked to continue with their usual care of their ankle OA, in addition to following the education provided and using the orthoses. They will receive weekly emails over the 3-month study period to maintain engagement and collect information on orthoses wear time (adherence), usual care and any treatment-related adverse events. The intervention will be delivered by physiotherapists with over 5 years of musculoskeletal clinical experience. Physiotherapists will record appointment attendance, details of the orthoses and any adverse events. Fidelity delivering the foot orthoses and education intervention will be observed by a researcher not involved in the delivery of the intervention.