Partial bone erosion repair is independently associated with functional improvement in early rheumatoid arthritis: a 2-year prospective high-resolution peripheral quantitative CT (HR-pQCT) longitudinal study
Authors' conclusion
HR-pQCT-detected partial repair of bone erosion was independently associated with functional improvement beyond inflammation control.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with early RA receiving 2-year tight-control treatment aiming at Simplified Disease Activity Index (SDAI) remission (SDAI ≤3.3); HR-pQCT of the second to fourth metacarpophalangeal joints98 in paired analyses
- Participants
- 101 patients
- Exposure
- Partial erosion repair vs Erosion progression
- Partial erosion repairn = 16
- Erosion progressionn = 38
- Outcome
- Association of change in HR-pQCT bone erosion volume with functional outcome (HAQ-DI)
- Follow-up
- Month 24
Methodological detailslongitudinal, 2-year tight-control treatment aiming at SDAI remission
- Longitudinal
- 2-year tight-control treatment aiming at SDAI remission
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Association of reduction in total erosion volume with HAQ-DI improvement · 2 years
| Group | Value | ρ (erosion volume reduction vs Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ-DI) improvement) | β erosion volume change (linear regression) | β change in SDAI | β change in SDAI for change in HAQ-DI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Partial erosion repair | 16.3% | 0.719 | 0.607 | 0.453 | |
| Erosion progression | 38.8% | 0.755 |
Value
Partial erosion repair16.3%
Erosion progression38.8%
ρ (erosion volume reduction vs Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ-DI) improvement)
Partial erosion repair0.719
Erosion progression— not stated in the abstract
β erosion volume change (linear regression)
Partial erosion repair0.607
Erosion progression— not stated in the abstract
β change in SDAI
Partial erosion repair0.453
Erosion progression— not stated in the abstract
β change in SDAI for change in HAQ-DI
Partial erosion repair— not stated in the abstract
Erosion progression0.755
- Partial erosion repair: correlation of erosion volume reduction with HAQ-DI improvement
- P = 0.003
- Partial erosion repair: erosion volume change in linear regression, independent of change in SDAI
- P = 0.003
- Partial erosion repair: contribution of change in SDAI
- P = 0.018
- Erosion progressors: change in HAQ-DI primarily driven by improvement in SDAI
- P < 0.001
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Baseline swollen joint count and erosion progression
| OR (95% CI) | P value | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Baseline swollen joint countUnivariate analysis | 1.177 (1.026–1.349) | P = 0.020 | |
| Baseline swollen joint countAdjusted for sex | 1.171 (1.019–1.346) | P = 0.026 | |
| 0.512Odds ratio (log scale) |
Disease activity and HAQ-DI improvement · 2 years
- Disease activity and HAQ-DI improved significantly (paired analyses, n=98)
- all p<0.001
Original publication
Partial bone erosion repair is independently associated with functional improvement in early rheumatoid arthritis: a 2-year prospective high-resolution peripheral quantitative CT (HR-pQCT) longitudinal study. RMD Open. Published 28 September 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →