Foot deformities in rheumatoid arthritis patients and their effects on foot functions

Foot problems are common clinical disorders in patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency and impact of foot and ankle problems in patients with RA.

A total of 164 feet of 82 RA patients with a diagnosis of one year or more were evaluated. Deformities including HV, CT, SF, PC, PP, MPS, MPV, and HT were examined in all RA patients. The Foot Function Index was used to measure the impact of these deformities on pain, disability, and movement limitations. Radiological changes were measured using the modified Larsen score.

The frequency of deformity in RA patients was found to be 95.1%, with HV deformity being the most common at 84.1%. There was a statistically significant relationship between SF, HV, PP, and PC deformities and disease duration. In our sample of 82 patients, 70 (85.3%) reported past or present foot pain complaints. The most common site of pain was the ankle joint, with 44 (53.7%) patients experiencing ankle pain. A statistically significant increase in the frequency of ankle pain was found as DAS28 scores, body mass index (BMI), and disease duration increased. There was also a correlation between an increase in DAS28 scores and the frequency of forefoot pain. A significant correlation was found between MPV, HV, PP, and PC deformities and high FFI scores. Larsen radiological scores were not correlated with foot-ankle pain or duration of pain.

These findings suggest that foot deformities are common in RA, and it is important to address them early in the disease course to minimize functional disability and improve quality of life.