Defining age-related thresholds in hand, wrist, and foot ultrasound: an international, cross-sectional, observational study by the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology Ultrasound Working Group
Authors' conclusion
Doppler signal in any metacarpophalangeal, proximal interphalangeal, wrist, and metatarsophalangeal joints are likely to be abnormal in all age groups. Normal ultrasound thresholds for synovial effusion and synovial hypertrophy differed by joint type and age.
Study context
- Population
- Healthy individuals aged 18–80 years without inflammatory joint disease, hand OA, joint pain or recent joint trauma, 20 centres in Europe, South America, Asia and the Middle East578 (72%) female
- Participants
- 802 individuals
- Exposure
- Age groups 18-39 vs 40-59 vs 60-80 years
- 18-39 yearsn = 351
- 40-59 yearsn = 302
- 60-80 yearsn = 149
- Outcome
- Age-related US thresholds (cumulative 95% prevalence rule) for synovial hypertrophy, Doppler signal and synovial effusion (EULAR-OMERACT synovitis score) in MCP 1-5, PIP 1-5, wrist and MTP 1-5 joints
Methodological detailsmulticentre, observational, international (20 centres, 13 countries), Participants recruited from Feb 7, 2017, to July 30, 2019, People with lived experience of inflammatory arthritis involved in study design and interpretation
- Multicentre
- Observational
- International (20 centres, 13 countries)
- Participants recruited from Feb 7, 2017, to July 30, 2019
- People with lived experience of inflammatory arthritis involved in study design and interpretation
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
US findings in small joints of healthy individuals
Joints with at least one US finding higher than grade 0 (of 28 735 joints scanned)
3728
13%
Highest proportion of findings > grade 0: MTP 1
45%
Second highest: MTP 2
39%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Original publication
Defining age-related thresholds in hand, wrist, and foot ultrasound: an international, cross-sectional, observational study by the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology Ultrasound Working Group. Lancet Rheumatol. Published 14 August 2026. doi:10.
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