The effect of foot orthoses in rheumatoid arthritis

Objective. To evaluate the effectiveness of foot orthoses using the foot function index (FFI) in a group of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) during a period of 6 months. Methods. Thirty-six rheumatoid subjects with foot pain were examined and appropriate foot orthoses were prescribed accordin...

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Detalhes bibliográficos
Autores: Magalhaes, E. D., Davitt, M., Filho, D. J., Battistella, L. R., Bertolo, M. B.
Formato: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2006
País:Brasil
Recursos:Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP)
Repositorio:Repositório Institucional da UNESP
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:repositorio.unesp.br:11449/194649
Acesso em linha:http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/rheumatology/kei163
http://hdl.handle.net/11449/194649
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palavra-chave:orthoses
rheumatoid foot
foot function index
rheumatoid arthritis
Descrição
Resumo:Objective. To evaluate the effectiveness of foot orthoses using the foot function index (FFI) in a group of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) during a period of 6 months. Methods. Thirty-six rheumatoid subjects with foot pain were examined and appropriate foot orthoses were prescribed according to each patient's needs. All the patients were evaluated 30, 90 and 180 days after the baseline visit. FFI values, daily time of wearing the orthoses and adverse effects were noted at each appointment. The Stanford Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) was used at the initial visit to evaluate the influence of physical condition on FFI response. Results. With the use of foot orthoses, FFI values decreased in all subscales (pain, disability and activity limitation). This reduction was noted in the first month and was maintained throughout the trial. Those using EVA (ethyl-vinyl acetate; n = 28) orthoses presented results similar to those for the total group. Patients wearing made-to-measure orthoses (n = 8) exhibited higher initial FFI values and worse evolution during the trial, significant for pain and disability but not for activity limitation. Minor adverse reactions were noted; none required interruption of treatment. There was no relation between HAQ and FFI evolution. Conclusions. Foot orthoses were effective as an adjuvant in the management of rheumatoid foot. They significantly reduced pain, disability and activity limitation, as measured by the FFI, with minor adverse effects.