Structural damage in rheumatoid arthritis assessed by musculoskeletal ultrasound: A systematic literature review by the Structural Joint Damage Task Force of the OMERACT Ultrasound Working Group

Cartilage evaluation by ultrasonography in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a scoping review

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to provide an overview of ultrasonographic cartilage evaluation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and identify research gaps in the utilization of cartilage evaluation.

METHODS

The study was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines. A systematic literature search of the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases was conducted for articles published up to July 2022 using the search term variations of "cartilage," "ultrasonography," and "rheumatoid arthritis." Studies that included patients with RA who underwent cartilage evaluation by ultrasonography were selected. Articles published in languages other than English and about juvenile idiopathic arthritis were excluded.

RESULTS

Twenty-nine articles were identified. Most were cross-sectional studies (86%), mainly involving the metacarpophalangeal (55%) and knee (34%) joints. Assessments were performed using quantitative, binary, and semi-quantitative methods in 15, 10, and 15 studies, respectively. Reliability assessments were conducted in 10 studies, which showed feasible reliability but were limited to the finger joints. The validity assessment was validated in one study each that compared cartilage thickness measurements with cadaveric specimens and histological and semi-quantitative methods with surgical specimens, respectively. Comparisons with conventional radiography were also performed in six studies, which showed significant correlations. However, there was heterogeneity in the examination and assessment methods, and no adequate longitudinal evaluation was conducted.

CONCLUSION

This review highlights the need for further research and validation of ultrasonographic cartilage assessment in patients with RA.

Receiver operating characteristic analysis using a novel combined thermal and ultrasound imaging for assessment of disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis

We aim to determine whether combined thermal and ultrasound (CTUS) imaging can identify rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with at least moderate disease activity (DAS28 > 3.2). Temperature differences of maximum (T_max), average (T_avg) and minimum (T_min) temperatures from a control temperature at 22 joints (bilateral hands) were summed up to derive the respective MAX, AVG and MIN per patient. MAX (PD), AVG (PD) and MIN (PD) are CTUS results derived by multiplying MAX, AVG and MIN by a factor of 2 when a patient's total ultrasound power Doppler (PD) joint inflammation score > median score, which otherwise remained unchanged. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to determine whether CTUS imaging can identify patients with DAS28 > 3.2. In this cross-sectional study, 814 joints were imaged among 37 RA patients (mean disease duration, 31 months). CTUS (but not single modality) imaging parameters were all significantly greater comparing patients with DAS28 > 3.2 versus those with DAS28 ≤ 3.2 (all P < 0.01). Area under the ROC curves (AUCs) using cut-off levels of ≥ 94.5, ≥ 64.6 and ≥ 42.3 in identifying patients with DAS28 > 3.2 were 0.73 , 0.76 and 0.76 for MAX (PD), AVG (PD) and MIN (PD), respectively (with sensitivity ranging from 58 to 61% and specificity all 100%). The use of CTUS in detecting a greater severity of joint inflammation among patients with at least moderate disease activity (DAS28 > 3.2) appears promising and will require further validation in independent RA cohorts.

Dynamic Ultrasound Assessment of the Anterior Tibial Translation for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tears Diagnostic

The aim of our study was to investigate the accuracy of dynamic ultrasound assessment of the anterior tibial translation, in diagnosing anterior cruciate ligament tears, and to assess its test−retest reliability. Twenty-three patients (32 ± 8.42 years; 69.56% males) with a history of knee trauma and knee instability participated in the study. Knee ultrasound was performed by an experienced orthopedic surgeon. The anterior tibial translation was measured in both knees and differences between the injured and uninjured knee were calculated. Side-to-side differences > 1 mm were considered a positive diagnosis of an ACL tear. The anterior tibial translation values were 3.34 ± 1.48 mm in injured knees and 0.86 ± 0.78 mm in uninjured knees. Side-to-side differences > 1 mm were found in 22 cases (95.65%). The diagnosis accuracy was 91.30% (95%CI: 71.96−98.92%) and sensitivity 95.45% (95%CI: 77.15−99.88%). The intraclass correlation coefficient showed an excellent test−retest reliability (ICC3,1 = 0.97 for the side-to-side difference in anterior tibial translation). The study highlights the accuracy and reliability of the dynamic ultrasound assessment of the anterior tibial translation in the diagnosis of unilateral anterior cruciate ligament tears. Ultrasound assessment is an accessible imaging tool that can provide valuable information and should be used together with physical examination in suspected cases of ACL injuries.

Controversies in rheumatology: Ultrasound for monitoring of RA - do we need it?

Clinical joint examination is the cornerstone for evaluation of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, since large discrepancies have been shown even between experienced rheumatologists in evaluation of joint inflammation, and tender joints may have limited value in reflecting inflammation, ultrasound has in the last decennials been introduced in the clinical assessments of RA patients. Ultrasound has high accordance with other imaging modalities and enables detection of clinically difficult pathologies and contributes to assessments of joints difficult to evaluate clinically. However, there is no general agreement on the optimal use of ultrasound in rheumatology and the prevalence of machines as well as the level of experience is highly different across the countries. In addition, standardized use of ultrasound in treat-to-target follow-up of RA patients was found not to have any added value. Thus, how to use ultrasound in monitoring of RA patients is open for debate. The present article will discuss the pros and cons for using ultrasound in the clinical setting.