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Approximately 90% of patients with arthritis exhibit forefoot deformities, including deformities within the metatarsophalangeal and proximal interphalangeal joints. Current pharmacological treatment with Disease Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs (DMARDs) consists of two groups: synthetic drugs (sDMARDs) and biological drugs (bDMARDs). The objective of our study was to investigate foot anthropometry changes in RA patients based on the administered treatment over a five-year period Method: A longitudinal analysis was conducted with RA patients who were grouped based on their pharmacological treatment. The pharmacological treatment groups were categorized into (I) methotrexate (MTX), (II) MTX plus biological treatments (including all variables), (III) biological treatment alone, and (IV) a miscellaneous group comprising patients with diverse treatments, including patients for whom various drugs had failed or who had not achieved remission with pharmacological treatment. For the anthropometric measurements, a foot measurement platform validated by McPoil et al. was used. Post hoc analyses with Bonferroni correction were performed to identify pairwise differences between the treatment groups while controlling for Type I errors due to multiple comparisons. Results: In the period from 2018 to 2023, significant changes were observed in several foot measurements. For instance, the MTX group showed a statistically significant increase in left heel width (p = 0.026). The MTX group experienced a slight increase in left foot length, while the Biologics and MTX + Bio groups exhibited more substantial increases in both maximum medial arch height and midfoot width. Conclusions: Different RA treatments can have a significant impact on foot structure over a five-year period, showing notable changes in heel width and overall foot morphology. Combined treatments with MTX and biologics potentially offer better management of RA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: The Foot Function Index (FFI) is a widely recognized patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) for assessing foot functionality and its impact on quality of life in individuals with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This study aimed to observe the behavior of the tool in the Spanish population with RA, optimize the tool, and check its functionality. Materials and Methods: A total of 549 RA patients, with a predominant female participation (75.6%). This study involved a comprehensive statistical analysis, leading to a refined version of the FFI for a Spanish-speaking population. Results: The original 23-item FFI was revised, resulting in a 15-item version by excluding items that caused confusion or were considered redundant. This modified version maintained the original's subscales of pain, disability, and activity limitation, but with an adjusted item distribution. The construct validity was confirmed through exploratory factor analysis, demonstrating excellent fit indices (Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin test = 0.926, Bartlett's test of sphericity = 4123.48, p < 0.001). The revised FFI demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.96) and test–retest reliability (ICC = 0.89). Conclusions: This study highlights the applicability of the FFI in Spanish-speaking RA populations, offering a valid and reliable tool for clinicians and researchers. The modifications enhance the FFI's relevance for RA patients, facilitating better assessment and management of foot-related functional impairments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To investigate the efficacy of the assessment methods that are used to diagnose posterior tibialis tendon dysfunction (PTTD) and investigate how the results of these assessments can be used to instruct non-surgical treatments. Design: Systematic review. Data sources: Searches were conducted up to January 2023 in the PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, Embase, Web of Science and Lilacs databases. Study eligibility criteria: Studies which included patients over 18 years of age, diagnosed with PTTD, which describe the assessments used to aid in the non-surgical treatment of PTTD in comparison with another type of assessment. All types of studies apart from protocols, letters to editor and other systematic reviews and meta-analysis were included. Study appraisal and synthesis methods: Two blinded reviewers performed screening, data extraction, and methodological quality assessments using the QUADAS-2. Results: A total of 15 observational studies were included in the review. Assessment methods included were verbal assessments, physical examinations, and imaging (magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound (US), and radiographs). The single-heel rise test was a commonly mentioned physical examination, showing reliability in one study but contradicting in another. MRI was frequently described as the "gold standard". However, US showed both comparable accuracy and advantages compared to MRI, such as cost-effectiveness and real-time examinations. Conclusions: There are many assessment methods described in the literature and, due to the lack of accuracy of the tests, a mixture of tests should be used to assess PTTD. The parameters from the tests can provide a diagnosis of PTTD, but do not offer detail on how they assist the non-surgical treatment of the condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objetive: Chronic ankle instability is generally associated with ankle sprain. Its consequences can be measured by means of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). The aim of this review is to identify the PROMs specifically available for chronic ankle instability and to evaluate their methodological quality and that of the cross-cultural adaptations made. Data Sources: Papers were retrieved from PubMed, Embase, Scopus and Google Scholar databases, with no time limit applied, based on the following inclusion criteria: (1) type of participants: patients with chronic ankle instability, over 18 years of age; (2)type of study: those specifically focused on this pathology, using PROMs specific to chronic ankle instability and published in English; (3) type of outcome: measurement properties based on COSMIN criteria in patient-reported outcomes associated with chronic ankle instability. Methods: This systematic review, following the COSMIN checklist, was conducted to determine the methodological quality of PROMs specific to foot and ankle pathologies, for patients presenting chronic ankle instability. Results: Of the 576 studies identified in the initial search, 34 were included in the final analysis of measurement properties. Four – the Ankle Instability Instrument, the Chronic Ankle Instability Scale, the Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool and the Identification of Functional Ankle Instability – were original questionnaires, and the remaining 30 were cross-cultural adaptations. Conclusion: The Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool and the Identification of Functional Ankle Instability questionnaires can be useful instruments for evaluating chronic ankle instability, both in patients with this condition and also in non-pathological patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To review the different versions of The Victorian Institute of Sports Assessment – Achilles questionnaire for Achilles tendinopathy to evaluate its psychometric properties and the methodological quality of these studies. This study is a systematic review. A search was conducted in the PubMed, SCOPUS, CINAHL, Physiotherapy Evidence Database and Google Scholar databases, based on the following inclusion criteria: population with Achilles tendinopathy >18 years; validation studies of the Victorian Institute of Sports Assessment-Achilles questionnaire, in different languages, with no time limit. Two of the present authors independently assessed the quality of the studies located and extracted the relevant data. Terwee's criteria and the COSMIN checklist were employed to ensure adequate methodological quality. Eleven instruments met the inclusion criteria for this review. Significant methodological flaws were detected, mostly regarding construct validity and responsiveness. The cultural adaptation of the Spanish-language and Brazilian-Portuguese-language VISA-A presents adequate methodological quality. However, further studies are required, with greater methodological rigor, of the cultural adaptations of measurement instruments. On available evidence, the Spanish-language and Brazilian-Portuguese language versions of the Victorian Institute of Sports Assessment – Achilles questionnaire are the most appropriate for patients with Achilles tendinopathy. Robust methods should be designed and implemented to obtain higher quality instruments for patients with Achilles tendinopathy to be used systematically in daily clinical practice. Most previous transcultural versions of the Victorian Institute of Sports Assessment – Achilles tendinopathy questionnaire have presented inadequate evidence of their psychometric properties and should be used with caution for patients with Achilles tendinopathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This study addresses the ossification process of the foot, a topic of great relevance within podiatry courses. Understanding the chronology of foot bone formation is essential for evaluating pathological processes and establishing appropriate therapeutic actions to improve patient quality of life. The main objectives of this work are to understand the ossification process of the foot bones and to propose an appropriate didactic methodology for effective learning of this process., Materials and Methods: The individual ossification sequences of the foot bones were established and virtually recreated to make these processes more didactic and usable as teaching aids. The literature search was conducted using the PRISMA statement, focusing on terms, such as "bone ossification," "foot," and "bone development," and included relevant studies from medical databases., Results: Updating the ossification ages and providing previously unavailable visual teaching material offers a useful tool for improving the teaching of this subject. It was found that, in general, the tarsal bones show significant differences in ossification ages between sexes, with later and slower ossification in males. These differences are statistically analyzed and presented in detailed comparative tables., Conclusions: The use of innovative teaching tools, such as virtual anatomical models, helps students to better understand the ossification process of foot bones. Implementing these tools in the podiatry curriculum not only facilitates knowledge acquisition but also enhances the quality of teaching and, consequently, the future clinical practice of students., (© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of Foot and Ankle Research published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australian Podiatry Association and The Royal College of Podiatry.)