Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, progressive inflammatory disease that can cause limitations and difficulties in activities of daily living (ADLs), due to pain, gait impairment and difficulties with self-care. 1 Damage to the ankles and feet occurs in 85% to 100% of these patients and contributes greatly to their loss of quality of life. 2 Typically, foot involvement indicates more aggressive disease and requires more than just pharmacological care. 3 Studying functional disability of the feet is important because, in addition to causing the abovementioned limitations, this form of disability has been correlated with higher risk of falls due to stiffness, pain, muscle weakness and balance disorders, which increases mortality, health resource utilization and loss of patients' work capacity. 4,5 Although RA patients frequently complain about their feet, such complaints are often overlooked by healthcare professionals. Specific instruments for foot health assessment, including the Brazilian versions of the Foot Health Status Questionnaire (FHSQ-BR) and the Foot Function Index (FFI-BR), measure the day-today impact of involvement of the feet in RA. These instruments provide data that help in understanding the repercussions of this involvement and the respective therapeutic indications. This can improve the quality of life of the individuals affected. 3 OBJECTIVE The objectives of the present study were to assess the disability that originated through foot involvement among RA patients, as indicated using the FFI-BR and FHSQ-BR questionnaires, and to evaluate the influence of inflammatory activity on the dysfunction of foot joints.