Table 1 Demographic, clinical and surgical details of all 11 patients.
| Clinical scores | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patient no./age (years)/sex | Medications* | Disease duration (years) | HAQ | DAS | ESR | CRP | Sw/Td jnt | Type of surgical procedure |
| 1/61/F | MTX, SSZ | 11 | 1.5 | 4.30 | 4 | N/A | 8/33 | Right‐wrist arthrodesis |
| 2/61/M | MTX, pred, LEF | 21 | 0 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 5/10 | Lapidus precedure left foot, modified Hibbs transfer, 3rd metatarsal shortening, 4th toe PIP fusion, 5th toe flexor tenotomy |
| 3/65/F | MTX, pred, HCQ | 28 | 1.88 | 4.20 | 16 | 5 | 4/27 | Arthrodesis 4th and 5th tarsometatarsal joints |
| 4/53/F | MTX, pred, LEF | 15 | 3.25 | 5.17 | 37 | 81 | 14/28 | Arthroplasty right ring and middle PIP joints |
| 5/59/F | MTX | 25 | 4.25 | 2.96 | 11 | 7 | 5/9 | Right lapidus procedure, release and reduction MTP joints 2 and 5, PIP joint fusion toes 2–5 |
| 6/64/F† | MTX, pred, HCQ | 43 | 0.63 | 2.87 | 4 | 2 | 5/12 | Left 1st metatarsal osteotomy, right 4th toe PIP arthrodesis |
| 7/57/F† | MTX, pred, SSZ HCQ | 15 | 2.88 | 5.87 | 12 | 14 | 26/34 | Bilateral forefoot arthroplasties (resection of metatarsal heads 2–5, fusion 1st MTP joint) |
| 8/77/F | Pred, cyclo | 6 | 2.38 | 5.75 | 53 | 32 | 21/28 | Arthrodesis left naviculocuneiform, intercuneiform, 2nd and 3rd TMT joints |
| 9/59/F | MTX, pred, SSZ | 29 | 2.75 | 3.12 | 43 | 34 | 2/8 | Right foot 1st MTP fusion and excision of lesser metatarsal heads 2–5 |
| 10/49/F† | SSZ, pred, HCQ, MTX | 26 | 1.88 | 5.29 | 8 | 4 | 32/22 | Arthroplasty left hand, MCP joints 2–5 |
| 11/50/F† | HCQ | 24 | 1.88 | 3.57 | 31 | 30 | 14/8 | Left metatarsal scarf osteotomy, osteotomies 2nd and 4th MTP joints |
*Medications: all patients on NSAIDs, MTX, methotrexate; pred, prednisone (10 mg or less); HCQ, hydroxychloroquine; SSZ, sulfasalazine; LEF, leflunomide; cyclo, ciclosporine; †histopathology available; see table 2. DAS, disease activity score; ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (mm/h); HAQ, health assessment questionnaire; PIP, proximal interphalangeal joints; MTP, metatarsophalangeal joints; Sw/Td, swollen and tender joints; N/A, not available.