FeeTURA4: Forefoot complications in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: identification, impact and intervention
Forefoot complications in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: identification, impact and intervention. The team at Southampton have led the development and validation of imaging techniques to uniquely determine the longitudinal epidemiology of forefoot complications in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
This provides a substantial basis of expertise to develop work in this area, utilising improved technologies to address the unmet clinical burden of rheumatoid arthritis disease. A targeted intervention for forefoot complication in patients with rheumatoid arthritis will be necessary. However, there is currently limited evidence on which to tailor intervention to individual patients. As such, this project will use new generation ultrasound imaging technology to facilitate patient assessment, within a community setting in real time, the results of which will be used to inform a personalised medical approach to management.
Epidemiology and lifetime risk for symptomatic foot osteoarthritis ELFOAB
The specific aims of this research, led by Cathy Bowen, are to develop a detailed understanding of the epidemiology, risk factors and associations of osteoarthritis occurring within the feet in the general population at middle and older age. An additional aim is to determine lower limb biomechanical factors associated with symptomatic radiographic foot osteoarthritis. The results of this multidisciplinary research should inform the developments of treatments to relieve painful foot osteoarthritis, inform national and international practice guidelines and national patient self-help literature to improve effective participation in the public health agenda to exercise.
The research is funded by Dr William M Scholl Research and Development Endowment Fund.
GAFRA: The impact of early adult rheumatoid arthritis on the biomechanical and functional characteristics of the foot and lower limb.
The impact of rheumatoid arthritis on the foot and lower limb has been identified as a key factor influencing quality of life but there is limited published research evaluating the impact of early rheumatoid arthritis on foot and lower limb biomechanics and its relationship to disease impact. Although early diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis improves outcomes, current assessment tools are not designed to evaluate the impact of early rheumatoid arthritis on the biomechanical function of the foot and lower limb. This study will use 3D motion analysis to evaluate the impact of early rheumatoid arthritis on the movement characteristics of the foot and lower limb.
Diagnostic imaging of foot conditions
We have developed diagnostic ultrasound imaging protocols for detection of inflammatory arthritis within the foot and ankle, particularly for use by podiatrists within the foot in a patient who has rheumatoid arthritis.
Where the left image illustrates a transverse ultrasound scan of the right forefoot with identification of the bases of the metatarsal heads (2-4) and an intermetatarsal lesion, the right image illustrates a transverse scan of the left foot with identification of the bases of the metatarsal heads (2-4) and an intermetatarsal lesion.