Topics include: An update on rheumatoid arthritis and pharmacological management; The perioperative management of the rheumatoid patient; Clinical manifestations and treatment of the pediatric rheumatoid patient; Medical imaging and radiographic analysis of the rheumatoid patient; The conservative treatment options for the rheumatoid foot and ankle; The surgical options for the rheumatoid ankle; and The complications encountered with the rheumatoid surgical foot and ankle.

Comprehensive and accessible, this unique book emphasizes a practical and evidence-based approach to the foot and ankle in rheumatoid arthritis. Information is concise, up to date, and well illustrated. The team of authors consists of rheumatologists and podiatrists based at the highly respected Foot and Ankle Studies in Rheumatology (FASTER) programme, with contributors including both surgeons and orthotists. A companion DVD contains many video clips of examination and injection techniques and gait analyses, additional downloadable images, assessment tools and an interactive injection resource. Unique - no other text of this nature has been written for podiatrists and rheumatologists. Comprehensive - all major aspects of the disease in relation to the foot and ankle are covered. Companion DVD contains many video clips of examination and injection techniques and gait analyses, additional downloadable images, assessment tools and an interactive injection resource. Practical and evidence-based approach. Up-to-date text incorporates the latest findings from experts in the field.

One of the earliest signs of rheumatoid arthritis may be pain in the foot. However, this part of the body is very often neglected during clinical assessment of the illness in favour of the articulations of the upper limbs, knees and hips. Nevertheless, it appears evident that a detailed clinical examination of the forefoot, ankle and heel could be useful in order to get closer to a rheumatological diagnosis. Thanks to blood tests and conventional imaging, completed with a scanner or MRI if needed, every doctor should be in a position to detect the beginning of rheumatoid arthritis in the foot or ankle. As well as its diagnostic contribution, this book broaches the theme of the most recent medicinal treatments, that of orthoses, made-to-measure shoes (the prescription of which practitioners and the rheumatologists often hand over to the orthopaedic surgeons), and finally that of local injections. These elements constitute the main treatment of the rheumatoid foot. Taking care of the ill subject does not necessarily stop there and a surgeon may need to operate on the forefoot, which is more common, or on the mid-foot or the ankle.

The rheumatoid arthritis issue of Foot and Ankle Clinics will highlight the current "gold standard" surgical procedures used in rheumatoid patients. It will also feature the newer joint-sparing and joint replacement techniques that are being performed by several of the most prominent surgeons in the world today. Two additional articles will focus on recommended strategies for managing disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs in the peri-operative period as well as a current concepts review on the medical management of rheumatoid arthritis.

Musculoskeletal foot pathology is endemic in patients with rheumatological conditions, with up to 90% of patients reporting current foot pain. However, foot pathology is often trivialised, despite the strong body of evidence showing foot problems are associated with reduced quality of life. The Foot and Ankle in Rheumatology is a unique, comprehensive, and detailed guide to all aspects of the management of foot and ankle pathologies in rheumatic conditions. Written by a team of leading experts, this title provides international perspectives and current state of the art information on foot and ankle pathology across a range of conditions. With over 170 colour images and photographs, practical diagnostic and management techniques are clearly explained with references to the latest guidelines. Rheumatology is a fast-evolving field, with major advances in treatment and management strategies. As the effective management of rheumatological foot and ankle disorders requires and integrated, disease-stage approach across a multidisciplinary team, the Foot and Ankle in Rheumatology has been designed to provide clear, practical, and evidence-based advice for a wide range of health professions, from podiatrists, rheumatologists, and orthopaedic surgeons to occupational therapists and physiotherapists.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the most common autoimmune inflammatory arthropathy. Foot pathology is almost ubiquitous in RA, affecting around 90% of patients during the course of their disease. Many of these require surgery! although reports suggest outcomes are varied and often suboptimal. Research into foot surgery is on the whole limited, methodologically poor, and hampered by a lack of understanding of what patients with RA perceive to be important when determining the outcome of their surgery. The hypothesis for work undertaken in this thesis was that patient specific factors will predict the outcome of foot and ankle surgery in patients with RA. In order to fully explore this, a multi methodological approach was used in a series of coordinated studies. Firstly, a secondary analysis of a large inception cohort of patients with RA was undertaken to explore use of surgical and conservative footcare and identify factors which may differentiate between the two. Then a series of preliminary studies were undertaken to explore what was important to patients when considering the outcome of their operation, compile a list of candidate factors to be tested in the main study, and assess the accuracy of new activity monitors in patients with RA. These preliminary studies then informed the design of a final prospective multicentre cohort of patients undergoing surgery to enable the prognostic ability of candidate factors to be modelled. Results presented in this thesis indicate that patients interpret the outcome of their operation using a multitude of interrelated factors and that further work is required before activity levels can be recorded objectively in patients with RA. Furthermore, patient specific factors may predict both an individual's future need for surgery, and the likely outcome of any surgery. However further work is required to confirm these findings before the evidence can be considered strong enough to inform clinical practice.

Topics include: Tibiotalocalcaneal Arthrodesis; Conservative Management of Ankle Arthritis; Ankle Arthrodiastasis and Interpositional Ankle Exostectomy; Ankle Arthrodesis; Revision of Failed Ankle Implants; Osteochondral Talar Lesions and Defects; and Supramalleolar Osteotomies for Ankle Arthritis.