AUT - Keith Rome

Professor Keith Rome

Professor in Podiatry

Phone: +64 9 921 9999 ext 7688

Email: krome@aut.ac.nz

Physical Address:
Room AA270, AUT North Shore Campus,
90 Akoranga Drive, Northcote,
Auckland 0627, New Zealand

Postal Address:
Department of Physiotherapy, A-11
School of Rehabilitation & Occupation Studies
Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences
AUT University, Private Bag 92006,
Auckland 1142, New Zealand


Links to relevant web pages:
http://www.aprsig.co.nz

Qualifications:

PhD, MSc, BSc(Hons), FPodM, SRCh

Memberships and Affiliations:

Member of Podiatrists and Chiropodists, UK; Member of Podiatry NZ

Biography:

My role is to co-ordinate research activity at AUT and a co-director of the Health & Rehabilitation Research Institute (HRRI). The podiatric research activities of the HRRI at AUT University are directed towards long-term chronic conditions that impact on the foot in adults and children. Led by Professor Keith Rome, the podiatry research team is concerned with chronic long-term foot conditions such as gout, rheumatoid arthritis; diabetes, heel pain on the impact of these conditions has on pain, disability, impairment and quality of life. We are also involved in paediatric foot conditions evaluating foot models, management strategies especially relating to footwear and foot orthoses.

Teaching Areas:

Postgraduate: Clinical Gait Analysis

Research areas:

Long term chronic foot conditions: gout, rheumatoid arthritis and foot-related interventions.

Research Summary:

Professor Keith Rome is currently a Professor in Podiatry at AUT University, New Zealand with over 20 years of experience in education within health care professionals. His research focuses on long term chronic foot conditions. His research expertise is in translational research associated in musculoskeletal and rheumatological conditions and also in intervention trials associated with footwear in older adults and rheumatology. Since 2009 he has also been a co-Director of the Health & Rehabilitation Research Centre in the Faculty of Health Sciences at AUT University. Prof Rome was award a fellowship from Society of Podiatrists for active work in podiatric research.

Prof Rome has published 60 peer-reviewed journal articles, 3 chapters in textbooks, 1 textbook (in preparation) and over 70 conference abstracts. He has published in the most prestigious journals in the fields of rheumatology, biomechanics and rehabilitation, including Rheumatology, Clinical Biomechanics and Clinical Rehabilitation.

Current Research Projects:

• To explore if wearing textured insoles in footwear can affect balance for people with MS.
• The impact of textured surfaces on reducing falls in the older adult.
• The impact of acute gout on foot pain, impairment and foot function.
• The impact of footwear on rheumatoid arthritis and gout.
• Development of footwear suitability scale for rheumatoid arthritis.

Publications:

• Hatton AL, Dixon J, Martin D, Rome K. Standing on textured surfaces: immediate effects on standing balance in healthy older adults. Age and Ageing (in press).
• Evans AM, Rome K. A review of the evidence for non-surgical interventions for flexible pediatric flat feet. Eur J Phys Rehabil Med. 2011 Feb 9.
• Rome K, Supervalli D, Sander S, Sanders A, McQueen FM, McNair P, Dalbeth N. Functional and biomechanical characteristics of foot disease in chronic gout: a case-control study. Clinical Biomechanics 2011; 26: 90–94.
• Rome K, Richie DR, Hatton AL (2010): Can orthoses and insoles have an impact on postural stability? Podiatry Today 23: 45-51.
• Dalbeth N, Doyle A, Boyer L, Rome K, Survepalli D, Sanders A, Sheehan T, Lobo M, Gamble G, McQueen FM (2011): Development of a computed tomography (CT) method of scoring bone erosion in the foot and ankle of patients with gout: validation and clinical implications. Rheumatology 50: 410-416.
• Silvester, R, Rome K, Williams AE, Dalbeth N (2010): ‘Choosing shoes’; the challenges for clinicians in assessing rheumatoid footwear: a preliminary study. Journal of Foot & Ankle Research 3, 24. 
• Rome K, Ashford R, Evans A (2010): Non-surgical interventions for paediatric pes planus (review). Cochrane Systematic Review 7.
• Rome K, Supervalli D, Sander S, Sanders A, McQueen FM, McNair P, Dalbeth N: Intra-tester reliability of manual testing of plantar pressure measurements in chronic gout. Journal of American Podiatric Medical Association [in press].
• Rome K, Chapman, J, William AE, Gow P, Dalbeth N (2010):  Podiatry services for patients with arthritis: an unmet need. New Zealand Medical Journal: 123: 1310-1312.
• Cameron AFM, Rome K, Hing WA (2009): Different Ultrasound machines to evaluate abductor hallucis muscle: reliability study. Journal of Foot & Ankle Research 2:33 doi:10.1186/1757-1146-2-33.
• Hatton A, Dixon J, Rome K, Martin D (2009): The effect of textured surfaces on postural stability and lower limb muscle activity. Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology 19: 957–964.
• Hatton AL, Dixon J, Martin D, Rome K (2009): The effect of textured surfaces on postural stability and lower limb muscle activity in healthy older adults. Age & Ageing, 38, S2: ii42.
• Rome K, Dixon J, Gray M, Woodley R (2009). Evaluation of static and dynamic postural stability in established rheumatoid arthritis; exploratory study. Clinical Biomechanics 24: 524-526.
• Rome K, Gow P, Dalbeth N, Chapman J (2009): Clinical audit of foot problems in patients with RA treated at Counties Manukau District Health Board, Auckland. Journal of Foot & Ankle Research 2:16.
• Cameron AFM, Rome K, Hing WA (2008): Ultrasound evaluation of abductor hallucis muscle: reliability study. Journal of Foot & Ankle Research 1:12.

Awards:

Fellowship to Society of Podiatrists, UK