Biomechanical evaluation of foot/ankle kinematics in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: the effects of surgical intervention

Normal (nonpathologic) foot and ankle motion has been successfully quantified with the four-segment kinematic Milwaukee foot model (MFM) using clinically accepted motion analysis techniques [8,9], A new series of ten patients with rheumatoid arthritis of the forefoot are evaluated in this work before and after surgical intervention. 3-D kinematic parameters demonstrate significant changes at the hindfoot and forefoot, and significant changes in stride length. Temporal parameters show significant differences from normal values. These results can be used to expand clinical evaluation. These methods may prove valuable both to characterize gait in a rheumatoid arthritis population, and to address improvements seen following surgery. The results support continued system application and development.