Ikari Katsunori
   Department   School of Medicine(Tokyo Women's Medical University Hospital), School of Medicine
   Position   Professor
Article types Original article
Language English
Peer review Peer reviewed
Title How reliable is assessment of joint swelling and tenderness over socks or stockings in patients with established rheumatoid arthritis?
Journal Formal name:Modern rheumatology
Abbreviation:Mod Rheumatol
ISSN code:14397609/14397595
Domestic / ForeginForegin
Volume, Issue, Page epub,pp.epub
Author and coauthor YANO Koichiro, TOBIMATSU Haruki, IKARI Katsunori, OKAZAKI Ken
Publication date 2021/11
Summary OBJECTIVES:Physicians tend to omit examinations of the foot and ankle in routine practice because it consumes a lot of time when working within tight time constraints. Although barefoot examination is critical to assess disease activity of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), we think occasional examination of foot over socks or stockings is better than not examining foot at all. The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of foot examinations over socks or stockings in patients with RA.METHODS:Sixty patients with RA were enrolled in this study. A rheumatologist and a senior resident performed foot examinations on each patient over socks, over stockings, and on bare foot to assess swelling and tenderness. Concordance rates between the barefoot examination and the examinations over socks or stockings by each examiner were investigated.RESULTS:The rheumatologist had a concordance rate of 94.4% over socks and 98.8% over stockings. The senior resident had a concordance rate of 95.6% over socks and 98.5% over stockings.CONCLUSIONS:Foot examinations over socks and stockings had high concordance rates with the barefoot examination, and it may be an option for decreasing foot and ankle examination time in RA patients.
DOI 10.1093/mr/roab101
PMID 34891174