Immediate effect of foot insole with longitudinal medial arch support and metatarsal pad on plantar pressure distribution in females with rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease which causes structural and functional changes in foot joints and results in alteration of plantar pressures. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the immediate effect of insole with medial longitudinal arch support and metatarsal pad on plantar pressure distribution in females with rheumatoid arthritis. This was a quasi-experimental study in which 15 volunteer females with rheumatoid arthritis were recruited using no-probability simple sampling method. Plantar pressures were assessed using Pedar-X system in four anatomical foot region in two conditions of walking with and without foot orthosis. Average maximum pressures (Kilopascal) were calculated in each region. Foot orthosis with medial longitudinal arch support and metatarsal pad reduced plantar pressure in heel (P< 0.015), metatarsal heads (P< 0.03) and increased pressure in mid-foot area (P< 0.00). However, no significant differences in average maximum pressure were observed between two assessed conditions in the toe area. The findings of the present study revealed that the orthosis with medial longitudinal arch support and metatarsal pad corrects increased pressure on heel and metatarsal heads in rheumatoid arthritis. It could increase plantar pressure in mid-foot while decrease it in metatarsal heads and heel regions. Therefore, this orthosis is recommended to be used as a treatment in this pathology in order to re-distribute the foot pressures more normally.