Application of a novel Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Sum Score (MUSS) in the follow-up of patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis
Authors' conclusion
MUSS is a promising, feasible sonographic score for longitudinal monitoring of disease activity in JIA, showing strong correlations with clinical measures and excellent specificity for active disease at a cut-off of ≥1.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with JIA in the PRO-KIND cohort managed treat-to-target, followed for 1 year
- Participants
- 33 patients
- Exposure
- Oligoarthritis vs Polyarthritis
- Oligoarthritisn = 12
- Polyarthritisn = 21
- Outcome
- MUSS (highest single B-mode grade + highest single PDU grade of all examined joints; max 6) as longitudinal marker of disease activity: Spearman correlations with clinical activity measures and ROC-derived cut-offs for clinical inactive disease
- Follow-up
- 1-year follow-up
Methodological detailslongitudinal, 1-year follow-up, treat-to-target, pooled visit-level data
- Longitudinal
- 1-year follow-up
- Treat-to-target
- Pooled visit-level data
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
MUSS vs clinical disease activity measures
- Spearman correlation of MUSS with JADAS-10, physician and parent/patient global scores (Ρ)
- 0.68-0.81; all P < 0.001
- Spearman correlation of MUSS with ESR in polyarthritis (Ρ)
- 0.57; P < 0.001
- ROC-optimal MUSS cut-off for detecting active disease
- ≥1
- Specificity at MUSS ≥1
- 100%
- Sensitivity at MUSS ≥1
- 55%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
- Median baseline MUSS similar between subtypes
Original publication
Application of a novel Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Sum Score (MUSS) in the follow-up of patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Rheumatology (Oxford). Published 23 March 2026. doi:10.
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