Abstract
Modern pharmaceutical treatment of RA seems to result in less need of prophylactic surgery but the burden of secondary osteoarthrosis of the the large joints in the lower extremity will be present for a foreseeable future. The results of hip an knee arthroplasty are well known from the Swedish Arthroplasty Registers. Severe deformities of the hip and knee are nowadays very seldom seen, but the same does not hold true for the ankle and foot. As more RA patients are offered hip and knee replacement they will start loading their feet to an extent which the feet are not always able to withstand. Effetcive pain-killing pharmaceuticals also means a possibility to put weight even on an arthritic deformed foot. Thus, severe foot and ankle deformities are still rather frequently seen. Improved surgical methods for correction have evolved and in most cases reconstructive ankle and foot surgery will restore the weightbearing capacity of the RA foot.
Theses abstracts were prepared by Professor Roger Lemaire. Correspondence should be addressed to EFORT Central Office, Freihofstrasse 22, CH-8700 Küsnacht, Switzerland.
