Heel lesions of rheumatoid arthritis.

Two lesions affecting the heel in rheumatoid arthritis have received little or no attention of recent years: one involves the plantar surface of the calcaneus and the calcaneal spur, and the other the synovial bursa between the insertion of the Achilles tendon into the calcaneus and the calcaneus itself. This note is designed primarily to draw attention to the sub-Achilles lesion, since it may be the presenting sign of rheumatoid arthritis and is often a major complaint: secondarily, to point out that the plantar surface of the calcaneus is often actively involved in rheumatoid arthritis and to indicate the nature of the involvement.