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Walking ability as a measure of treatment effect in early rheumatoid arthritis
J Hamilton1, G Brydson, S Fraser
1Southern General Hospital NHS Trust, Glasgow, Scotland, UK.
Objective:
To assess the clinical usefulness of a prototype walkmat system in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Subjects:
Twenty-four subjects with early RA and symptomatic forefoot disease requiring therapy with second-line drugs were recruited.
Design:
Each subject underwent clinical assessment together with gait analysis on the contact sensitive walkmat system and Kistler forceplate before and after six months of treatment with second-line drugs. Two subjects were lost to follow-up.
Results:
There was the expected improvement in disease activity in response to therapy. Significant differences were also demonstrated in defined gait parameters that indicated improved weight-bearing and enhanced forefoot propulsion.
Conclusion:
Medical therapy improved walking ability in patients with RA and the walkmat system provided a useful adjunct to existing outcome measures in the assessment of lower limb function.