The effect of custom moulded ethyl vinyl acetate foot orthoses on the gait of patients with rheumatoid arthritis

There is a high incidence of foot involvement in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and an accepted practice of prescribing accommodative foot orthoses despite a lack of research evidence. This study evaluated the effect of custom moulded ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA) foot orthoses on walking ability in patients with RA. A prototype contact sensitive walkmat was used to assess the stable predictors of gait, namely velocity, stride length and cadence. Perception of comfort was examined using a Likert type scale. An intra session reliability study (n = 22) was conducted on the walkmat, intraclass correlation coefficients (r) for all objective parameters measured were classed as 'high' (r > 0.90). A sample of RA subjects (n = 8) was recruited; all subjects having been prescribed custom made EVA orthoses in the previous 6 months. Results show a statistically significant (P < 0.05) increase in average stride length with the orthoses in situ. Increases also occurred in velocity and cadence but not at statistically significant levels. All subjects reported improved comfort levels.