The effect of foot orthoses on gait biomechanics and pain among people with rheumatoid arthritis: A quasi-experimental study.

Background: Foot pain is frequent among people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Foot orthoses (FO) are commonly prescribed with the intention to reduce pain symptoms and improve function.

Research Question: How do a custom-made FO affect pain, gait biomechanics and daily activity among people with RA?

Methods: Twenty-five participants with RA and foot pain completed this quasi-experimental study using a control insole for four weeks and then a custom-made FO in the following four weeks.

Different types of foot orthoses effect on gait mechanics in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Foot orthoses are a first line conservative treatment for foot impairments in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), however their effect on gait mechanics is poorly understood. We aimed to compare changes in lower limb and foot mechanics between two types of commonly used foot orthoses (FO) with a control. Twenty-seven patients with rheumatoid arthritis participated in this crossover study.

A parametric study of effect of experimental tibialis posterior muscle pain on joint loading and muscle forces-Implications for patients with rheumatoid arthritis?

Background: Foot pain and deformities are commonly encountered in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Likewise, Posterior tibial tendon dysfunction (PTTD) is commonly involved in development of foot and ankle abnormalities and has been reported with a prevalence in two-thirds of the RA patients.

Research Question: Redundancy in the physiological function between different muscles provides the central nervous system multiple options to perform the same movement but which muscles compensate for the impairment of the tibialis posterior (TP) muscle? And how does these changes affect ankle joint loading?

Methods: Experimental and computational disciplines were applied to investigate changes in muscle forces as result of induced pain in the right TP muscle.

Tibialis posterior muscle pain effects on hip, knee and ankle gait mechanics.

Background: Tibialis posterior (TP) dysfunction is a common painful complication in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which can lead to the collapse of the medial longitudinal arch. Different theories have been developed to explain the causality of tibialis posterior dysfunction. In all these theories, pain is a central factor, and yet, it is uncertain to what extent pain causes the observed biomechanical alterations in the patients.