Cristiano Sena da Conceição, Mansueto Gomes Neto, Anolino Costa Souza, Selena Maria Dubois Mendes, Abrahão Fontes Baptista and Kátia Nunes Sá
Objective: To verify the effectiveness of custom-molded FO (Foot Orthoses) on kinetic parameters, pain, and disability in RA patients. Methods: Patients with RA were randomized into FO and no orthoses groups. Kinetic parameters were assessed using a foot pressure system, foot pain was evaluated using the pain subscale of the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot scale, and disability was evaluated by the total score of the AOFAS anklehindfoot scale and by the Health Assessment Questionnaire for RA. Results: Analyses were performed on data collected at baseline and after 2 months of intervention. Thirty-three women (mean age, 53.0 ± 10.97 years; mean disease duration, 12.2 ± 7.54 years) were evaluated. No differences in the kinetic parameters, and small, but non-significant, improvements in the pain and disability measures were observed in the FO group. Conclusions: FO without other conservative treatments did not have a significant effect on the pain and disability in RA patients. Additional, larger trials are needed to investigate the effects of these devices combined with physical therapy in similar patients. Trial registration: http://www.ensaiosclinicos.gov.br/rg/RBR-24ydf6/, RBR-24ydf6.