Pressure under the forefoot in rheumatoid arthritis. A comparison of static and dynamic methods of assessment.

The generation and transmission of forces under the foot was investigated in 67 normal subjects and 124 patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The investigations included the measurement of static foot-ground pressure patterns with a Pedobarograph and the assessment of transmission of maximum load during the gait cycle with instrumented force sandals. Information from both sources was compared with the patient's own subjective assessment of pain and walking ability. Static pressures accurately reflect the position of abnormal pressure generation.