title: Foot function is well preserved in children and adolescents with juvenile idiopathic arthritis who are optimally managed.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to compare disease activity, impairments, disability, foot function and gait characteristics between a well described cohort of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) patients and normal healthy controls using a 7-segment foot model and three-dimensional gait analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fourteen patients with JIA (mean (standard deviation) age of 12.4 years (3.2)) and a history of foot disease and 10 healthy children (mean (standard deviation) age of 12.5 years (3.4)) underwent three-dimensional gait analysis and plantar pressure analysis to measure biomechanical foot function. Localised disease impact and foot-specific disease activity were determined using the juvenile arthritis foot disability index, rear- and forefoot deformity scores, and clinical and musculoskeletal ultrasound examinations respectively. Mean differences between groups with associated 95% confidence intervals were calculated using the t distribution.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mild-to-moderate foot impairments and disability but low levels of disease activity were detected in the JIA group. In comparison with healthy subjects, minor trends towards increased midfoot dorsiflexion and reduced lateral forefoot abduction within a 3-5° range were observed in patients with JIA. The magnitude and timing of remaining kinematic, kinetic and plantar pressure distribution variables during the stance phase were similar for both groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In children and adolescents with JIA, foot function as determined by a multi-segment foot model did not differ from that of normal age- and gender-matched subjects despite moderate foot impairments and disability scores. These findings may indicate that tight control of active foot disease may prevent joint destruction and associated structural and functional impairments.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Applied Health Research, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, UK. gordon.hendry@uws.edu.au
authors.forename: Gordon J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Hendry
authors.forename: Danny
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rafferty
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Barn
authors.forename: Janet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gardner-Medwin
authors.forename: Debbie E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Woodburn
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001171:Arthritis, Juvenile / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005528:Foot / Q000502:physiology; D033023:Foot Joints / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male