Juvenile idiopathic arthritis

The impact of foot problems in adults with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases is generally well established. However, in contrast, the impact of foot problems in children with rheumatic diseases has received relatively little attention. Therefore this chapter provides an overview of the most common rheumatic disorder of childhood: juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), with a focus on how it affects the foot, how it impacts on foot function, gait, and activities of daily living, and its associated assessment and management strategies. We acknowledge that other rheumatic disorders of childhood such as (but not limited to) juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus and dermatomyositis may occasionally present with foot-related impairments; however, these are less likely to affect the foot and ankle in the same way or to the same extent as JIA, and podiatrists are often less involved in management of these conditions. Therefore this chapter will focus on JIA, which frequently affects the foot and ankle and often requires podiatric contributions to the overall management strategies implemented by a multidisciplinary team.