1. Faculty of Medicine and Health
  2. School of Medicine
  3. Research groups
  4. Foot and Ankle Studies in Rheumatology

Foot and Ankle Studies in Rheumatology

  • Group summary: The Leeds Foot and Ankle Studies (FASTER) initiative is a strategic programme based on development of fundamental science, novel outcome measures, conduct of randomised controlled trials, and coordinated activity which aims to improve foot care services nationwide.

What we do

The Leeds Foot and Ankle Studies (FASTER) initiative is a strategic programme based on development of fundamental science, novel outcome measures, conduct of randomised controlled trials, and coordinated activity which aims to improve foot care services nationwide.

The FASTER programme was established to fulfil five aims:

  • To establish a comprehensive coordinated program of research into the basic science of the mechanical function of the foot and ankle in health and disease.
     
  • To organise and support a coordinated program of research into the application of treatments for musculoskeletal disorders of the foot and ankle, and the services providing those treatments.
     
  • To lead and support the uptake of an evidence based approach to, and best practice management of musculoskeletal disorders of the foot and ankle by clinicians in the field.
     
  • To provide education in the principles of evidence based practice, and widely disseminate the expanding base of relevant good quality evidence.
     
  • To input into health policy and clinical standards development relevant to the care of musculoskeletal disorders of the foot and ankle.

Work arising from the FASTER programme has directly informed NICE guidelines, the Royal College of GPs curriculum and government policy. Based on a four pronged approach of addressing structure, function, patient outcome and tissue characterisation, the FASTER body of research work incorporates studies employing state of the art approaches in biomechanics; MRI, X-ray and ultrasound imaging; vascular and neurological studies; computer modelling; and in vitro simulations. The foot and ankle programme includes collaborations between rheumatologists, orthopaedic surgeons, podiatrists, physiotherapists, radiologists, anatomists, pathologists bioengineers and computer scientists.

Funding

Key publications

Key publications our team has contributed to

  1. Corbacho H, Cockayne S, Adamson J, Clark A, Fairhurst C, Hewitt CE, Hicks K, Hull R, Keenan AM, Lamb SE, Green LR, MacIntosh C, Menz HB, Redmond AC, Richardson Z, Rodgers S, Vernon W, Watson J, Torgerson DJ. Cost-effectiveness of a multifaceted podiatry intervention for the prevention of falls in older people: The REFORM trial findings. Gerontology 2018, 64; 503-512. DOI: 10.1159/000489171.
     
  2. Ndosi ME, Alcacer-Pitarch B, Allanore Y, Del Galdo F, Frerix M, Díaz Garcia S,  Hesselstrand R, Kendall C, Matucci-Cerinic M, Müller-Ladner U, Sandqvist G, Torrente-Segarra V, Schmeiser T, Sierakowska M, Sierakowska J, Sierakowski S, Redmond AC. Common measure of quality of life for people with systemic sclerosis across seven European countries: a cross sectional study: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases 2018, 77 (7) 1032-1038: doi:10.1136/ annrheumdis-2017-212412.
     
  3. Peeters GMEE, Edwards KL, Brown WJ, Barker AL, Arden NK, Redmond AC, Conaghan PG, Cicuttini F, Mishra GD. Potential effect modifiers of the association between physical activity patterns and joint symptoms in mid-aged women. Arthritis Care and Research. 2018. 70 (7) 1012-1021. DOI: 10.1002/acr.23430.
     
  4. McCulloch L, Borthwick A, Redmond AC, Edwards K, Pinedo-Villanueva R, Prieto-Alhambra D, Judge A, Arden NK, Bowen C. UK podiatrists’ experiences of podiatry services for people living with arthritis: a qualitative investigation. BMC Journal of Foot and Ankle Research. 2018. 11; 17 https://doi.org/10.1186/s13047-018-0262-5.
     
  5. Siddle HJ, Mandl P, Aletaha D, Vliet Vlieland TPM, Backhaus M, Cornell P, D’Agostino M-A, Ellegaard K, Iagnocco A, Jakobsen B, Jasinski T, Kildal NH, Lehner M, Möller I. Supp G,  O'Connor PJ, Redmond AC, Naredo E,  Wakefield RJ. The EULAR points to consider for health professionals undertaking musculoskeletal ultrasound for rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. 2018. 77 (2) : 311–313. doi:10.1136/annrheumdis-2016-210741.
     
  6. Edwards K, Borthwick A, McCulloch L, Redmond AC, Pinedo-Villanueva R, Prieto-Alhambra D, Judge A, Arden NK, Bowen C. Evidence for current recommendations concerning the management of foot health for patients with chronic long-term conditions: a systematic review. BMC Journal of Foot and Ankle Research. 2017. 10:51. DOI 10.1186/s13047-017-0232-3.
     
  7. Siddle HJ, Hodgson RJ, Hensor EMA, Grainger AJ, Redmond AC,  Wakefield RJ, Helliwell PS. Plantar plate pathology is associated with erosive disease in the painful forefoot of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders. 2017. 18:308 DOI 10.1186/s12891-017-1668-0.
     
  8. Halstead J, Martín-Hervás C, Hensor EMA, McGonagle D, Keenan AM,  Redmond AC, Conaghan PG.  Development and reliability of a preliminary Foot Osteoarthritis Magnetic Resonance Imaging Score (FOAMRIS). Journal of Rheumatology. 2017. 44(8) 1257-1264.  (doi:10.3899/jrheum.160617).
     
  9. Cockayne S, Adamson J, Clark A, Corbacho H, Fairhurst C, Hewitt CE, Hicks K, Hull R, Keenan AM, Lamb SE, Green LR, MacIntosh C, Menz HB, Redmond AC, Richardson Z, Rodgers S, Vernon W, Watson J, Torgerson DJ  on behalf of the REFORM study. Cohort randomised controlled trial of a multifaceted podiatry intervention for the prevention of falls in older people (The REFORM trial). PLOS One. 2017. 12(1) e0168712. doi:10.1371/ journal.pone.0168712.
     
  10. Cockayne S, Fairhurst C, Adamson J, Hewitt CE, Hull R, Hicks K, Keenan AM, Lamb SE,  Green LR, McIntosh C,  Menz HB, Redmond AC, Rodgers S, Torgerson DT, Vernon W, Watson J, Knapp P, Rick J, Bower P, Eldrige S, Madurasinghe V, Graffy J.  An optimised patient information sheet did not significantly increase recruitment to a falls prevention study: an embedded randomised recruitment trial. BMC Trials. 2017. 18:144  DOI 10.1186/s13063-017-1797-7.
     
  11. Felson DT, Redmond AC, Chapman GJ, Smith TO, Hamilton D, Jones RK, Holt CA, Callaghan MJ, Mason DJ, Arthritis Research UK Osteoarthritis and Crystal Disease Clinical Studies Group, PG Conaghan. Considerations for the conduct of efficacy trials of treatment devices in osteoarthritis: A report from the ARUK Osteoarthritis and Crystal Disease Clinical Study Group. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2016. 55(2); 320-326. DOI:10.1093/ rheumatology/kev328
     
  12. Halstead-Rastrick J, Gray J, Chapman GJ, Grainger AJ, Brown S, Wilkins RA, Roddy E, Helliwell PS, Keenan AM, Redmond AC. Foot orthoses in the treatment of symptomatic midfoot osteoarthritis using clinical and biomechanical outcomes: a randomised feasibility study. Clinical Rheumatology  2016. 35 (7): 987-996 (DOI 10.1007/s10067-015-2946-6).
     
  13. Santiago TL, Salvador MJ, Alcacer-Pitarch B, Del Galdo F, Redmond AC, DaSilva JAP. A preliminary study using Virtual Touch Imaging and Quantification for the assessment of skin stiffness in systemic sclerosis. Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology 2016. 34(5/S100) : 0137-141. (PMID: 26939859).
     
  14. Kingsbury SR, Corp N, Watt FE, Felson DT, O’Neill TW, Conaghan. Arthritis Research UK on behalf of Osteoarthritis and Crystal Disease Clinical Studies Group working group. Harmonising collection of data from osteoarthritis studies to enable stratification: Advice on core data collection from an Arthritis Research UK clinical studies group. Rheumatology (Oxford) 2016. 55 (8): 1394-1402 doi:10.1093/rheumatology/kew201
     
  15. Denton CP, Hughes M, Gak N, Vila J, Buch MH, Chakravarty K, Fligelstone K, Gompels LL, Griffiths B,  Herrick AL, Pang J, Parker L, Redmond AC,  van Laar J, Warburton L, Ong VH.  BSR and BHPR guideline for the treatment of systemic sclerosis. Rheumatology (Oxford) 2016. 55 (10): 1906-1910 doi:10.1093/rheumatology/kew224
     
  16. Vliet Vlieland TPM, van den Ende CHM, Alliot-Launois F, Beauvais C, Gobbo M, Iagnocco A, Lundberg IE, Munuera-Martínez PV, Opava CH, Prior Y, Redmond AC,  Smucrova H,  Wiek D. Educational needs of health professionals working in rheumatology in Europe. RMD Open 2016;2:e000337 doi:10.1136/rmdopen-2016-000337.
     
  17. Chapman GJ, Halstead-Rastrick J, Redmond AC. Comparability of off the shelf foot orthoses in the redistribution of forces in midfoot osteoarthritis patients. Gait and Posture. 2016 49:235-240. DOI 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2016.07.012.
     
  18. Backhouse MR, Vinall-Collier KA, Redmond AC, Helliwell  PS, Keenan AM Interpreting outcome following foot surgery in people with rheumatoid arthritis. Journal of Foot and Ankle Research 2016 9:20. DOI 10.1186/s13047-016-0153-6.
     
  19. Wilkins RA, Siddle HJ, Redmond AC, Helliwell PS. The mechanical impact of toe dactylitis in psoriatic arthritis: an exploratory study. Clinical Rheumatology 2016. 35:2333–2338 DOI: 10.1007/s10067-016-3304-z).

 

Who we are

People

Professor Anthony Redmond

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