How to score the wrist joint by ultrasound: exploration of the most sensitive joint assessment during follow-up of early or established rheumatoid arthritis
Authors' conclusion
To assess changes in follow-up studies, ultrasound scoring should include all three major wrist joints in both early and established RA.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with early or established rheumatoid arthritis (RA), with US scoring of the radio-carpal (RC), inter-carpal (IC) and radio-ulnar (RU) wrist joints
- Participants
- 208 vs 162
- Comparison
- US scoring options for the wrist joints in early vs established RA
- Early RAn = 208
- Established RAn = 162
- Primary endpoint
- Sensitivity to change of each wrist joint score, assessed by the standardised response mean (SRM)
- Follow-up
- 12 months
Methodological detailsARCTIC trial and ULTRABIT study, two independent cohorts, US semi-quantitative scoring of 36 joints and four tendons
- ARCTIC trial and ULTRABIT study
- Two independent cohorts
- US semi-quantitative scoring of 36 joints and four tendons
Primary result
As reported in the abstract
Most treatment-sensitive wrist joint score (SRM)
| Group | Standardised response mean (SRM), greyscale (GS), maximum score of three wrist joints | SRM, power Doppler (PD), maximum score of three wrist joints | SRM, GS, sum score of three wrist joints | SRM, PD, sum score of three wrist joints |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early RA | −0.82 | −0.73 | ||
| Established RA | −0.56 | −0.54 |
Standardised response mean (SRM), greyscale (GS), maximum score of three wrist joints
Early RA−0.82
Established RA— not stated in the abstract
SRM, power Doppler (PD), maximum score of three wrist joints
Early RA−0.73
Established RA— not stated in the abstract
SRM, GS, sum score of three wrist joints
Early RA— not stated in the abstract
Established RA−0.56
SRM, PD, sum score of three wrist joints
Early RA— not stated in the abstract
Established RA−0.54
Further findings
Prevalence of wrist joint synovitis · baseline and 12 months
- Higher in established RA than in early RA
Original publication
How to score the wrist joint by ultrasound: exploration of the most sensitive joint assessment during follow-up of early or established rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Res Ther. Published 30 October 2025. doi:10.
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