Physiotherapist-supervised exercises versus unsupervised home-based exercises after nonsurgically treated proximal humerus fracture: a multicenter randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Proximal humerus fracture (PHF) is a common fragility fracture in older adults and can have a substantial impact on upper limb function. Although most patients with PHF can be treated nonsurgically, it is unknown whether older adults benefit from supervised exercise therapy after PHF. Therefore, the objective of this trial was to investigate whether 10 weeks of physiotherapist-supervised exercises once a week were superior to 10 weeks of unsupervised home-based exercises in older adults with a nonsurgically treated displaced 2-part PHF. METHODS: This was designed as an assessor-blinded, prospective, randomized controlled trial and took place in 3 Nordic countries. In total, 72 patients (≥60 years) with nonsurgically treated displaced 2-part PHF were randomized to either physiotherapist-supervised exercises once a week for 10 weeks, combined with daily home-based exercises, or to 10 weeks of daily unsupervised home-based exercises. The primary outcome measure was the Disability of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) with a primary endpoint at 3 months. Secondary outcomes were DASH (at 12 months), Constant-Murley Score, the 15D-instrument, Visual Analog Scale, General Self-Efficacy Scale, and Pain Catastrophizing Scale, with follow-up visits after 3 and 12 months. Non-union and patient death within 3 months were counted as complications. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients in both groups was 72 years. At 3 months follow-up, the mean DASH score in the supervised group was 25.9 (SD 16.0) compared to 22.4 (SD 18.9) in the unsupervised group. The mean between-group difference (3.5, 95% CI -5.0 to 12.5) was not clinically relevant. None of the secondary outcome measures presented any clinically relevant or statistically significant between-group differences at 3 or 12 months follow-up. One patient in the supervised group and 3 in the unsupervised group were diagnosed with non-union. One patient from each group died before 3 months follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: This trial provides no evidence that supervised exercises are superior to unsupervised home-based exercises in improving functional outcome or health-related quality of life in older patients with a nonsurgically treated 2-part PHF. Further, our results suggest that most older adults with a nonsurgically treated 2-part PHF can perform home-based exercises without the supervision of a physiotherapist.

Effectiveness of a bandage to prevent re-dislocation after total hip arthroplasty in patients with a previous hip dislocation. A randomized controlled trial with 12-week follow-up.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate if using a hip bandage is more effective than standard care in the prevention of total hip arthroplasty re-dislocation in patients with a previous total hip arthroplasty dislocation. DESIGN: randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Holstebro Regional Hospital and Viborg Regional Hospital. SUBJECTS: A total of 99 patients, 51 women, mean 70.7 (SD 9.9) years were enrolled in an un-blinded, clinical randomized controlled trial. INTERVENTIONS: Participants with at least one previous total hip arthroplasty dislocation were randomized to either wearing a bandage reducing flexion, adduction, and internal rotation of the hip (intervention group) or to standard care (control group). The participants were followed for 12 weeks. Main follow-up measures were as follows: number of re-dislocations (primary outcome), hip disability measured with the Oxford Hip Score (0-48, 48 best), quality of life measured with the 36-Item Short Form Survey (0-100, 100 best), satisfaction with treatment and serious adverse events. Statistical analyses followed the intention-to-treat principle. RESULTS: No significant group differences were observed for the primary outcome re-dislocations (9 versus 15, P = 0.143) or for disability (11.3 versus 14.4, P = 0.161), quality of life (57.7 versus 48.3, P = 0.050) or satisfaction with treatment (P = 0.562). There were 3 serious adverse events leading to total hip arthroplasty revision in the intervention group and 4 in the control group. CONCLUSION: We found that a hip bandage is not superior to standard care in the prevention of total hip arthroplasty re-dislocation in those with a previous total hip arthroplasty dislocation.

Effects of nutrition education using a food-based approach, carbohydrate counting or routine care in type 1 diabetes: 12 months prospective randomized trial.

INTRODUCTION: Evidence on the effects of structured nutrition education is weak in adults with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) with moderately impaired glycemic control. Objective was to compare the effects of different types of nutrition education programs on glycemic control, cardiovascular risk factors, quality of life, diet quality and food choices in T1D. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A 12 months randomized controlled study conducted at nine diabetes specialist centers with three parallel arms: (i) a food-based approach (FBA) including foods with low glycemic index or (ii) carbohydrate counting (CC) according to today's standard practice or (iii) individual sessions according to routine care (RC). The primary end point was difference in glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) between groups at 12 months. RESULTS: 159 patients were randomized (FBA: 51; CC: 52; RC: 55). Mean (SD) age 48.6 (12.0) years, 57.9% females and mean (SD) HbA1c level 63.9 (7.9) mmol/mol, 8% (0.7%). After 3 months, HbA1c improved in both FBA and CC compared with RC. However, there were no significant differences at 12 months in HbA1c; FBA versus RC (-0.4 mmol/mol (1.3), 0.04% (0.1%)), CC versus RC (-0.8 mmol/mol (1.2), 0.1% (0.1%)), FBA versus CC (0.4 mmol/mol (0.3), 0.04% (0.01%)). At 12 months, intake of legumes, nuts and vegetables was improved in FBA versus CC and RC. FBA also reported higher intake of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats compared with RC, and dietary fiber, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats compared with CC (all p values <0.05). There were no differences in blood pressure levels, lipids, body weight or quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: Nutrition education using an FBA, CC or RC is equivalent in terms of HbA1c and cardiovascular risk factors in persons with T1D with moderately impaired glycemic control. An FBA had benefits regarding food choices compared with CC and RC.

Whole-body Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Psoriatic Arthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Healthy Controls: Interscan, Intrareader, and Interreader Agreement and Distribution of Lesions.

OBJECTIVE: Whole-body MRI (WBMRI) is a promising technique for monitoring patients' global disease activity in inflammatory joint diseases. The validation of WBMRI is limited; no studies have evaluated the test-retest agreement (interscan agreement) and only a few have assessed the intra- and interreader agreement. Therefore, we first examined the interscan agreement of WBMRI in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and healthy controls (HC); and second, we evaluated the intra- and interreader agreement and agreement with conventional hand MRI and determined the distribution of lesions. METHODS: WBMRI was performed twice at a 1-week interval in 14 patients with PsA, 10 with RA, and 16 HC. Images were anonymized and read in pairs with unknown chronological order by experienced readers according to the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) WBMRI, Canada-Denmark MRI, and the RA MRI scoring system (RAMRIS) and the PsA MRI scoring system (PsAMRIS). Ten image sets were reanonymized for assessment of intra- and interreader agreement. Agreement was calculated on lesion level by percentage exact agreement (PEA) and Cohen κ, and for sum scores by absolute agreement, single-measure intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). RESULTS: WBMRI of the spine and peripheral joints and entheses generally showed moderate to almost perfect interscan agreement with PEA ranging from 95% to 100%, κ 0.71-1.00, and ICC 0.95 to 1.00. Intra- and interreader data generally showed moderate to almost perfect agreement. Agreement with conventional MRI varied. More lesions were found in patients than in HC. CONCLUSION: WBMRI showed good interscan agreement, implying that repositioning of the patient between examinations does not markedly affect scoring of lesions. Intra- and interreader agreement were moderate to almost perfect.

Whole-Body Magnetic Resonance Imaging Assessment of Joint Inflammation in Rheumatoid Arthritis-Agreement With Ultrasonography and Clinical Evaluation.

Objective: To compare joint inflammation seen by whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (WBMRI), with "whole-body" ultrasound and clinical assessments, in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) before and during tumor necrosis factor-inhibitor (TNF-I, adalimumab) treatment. Methods: In 18 patients with RA, clinical assessment for joint tenderness and swelling, WBMRI, and ultrasound were obtained at baseline and week 16. Wrist, metacarpophalangeal (MCP) and proximal interphalangeal (PIP), elbow (except for WBMRI), shoulder, knee, ankle, and metatarsophalangeal joints were examined. Joint inflammation was defined by WBMRI as the presence of synovitis and/or osteitis and by ultrasound as gray-scale synovial hypertrophy grade >2 and/or color Doppler grade >1. On patient level, agreement was assessed by Spearman correlation coefficients (rho) for sum scores for 28 joints (i.e., wrists, MCPs, PIPs, elbows, shoulders, and knees) between clinical examination (DAS28CRP), ultrasound (US28), and WBMRI (WBMRI26; elbows not included). On joint level, agreement on inflammation between WBMRI, ultrasound, and clinical findings was calculated with Cohen's kappa (κ). Results: At patient level, WBMRI26 and US28 sum scores showed good correlation (rho = 0.72; p < 0.01) at baseline, but not at follow-up (rho = 0.25; p = 0.41). At joint level, moderate agreement was seen for hand joints (κ = 0.41-0.44); for other joints κ <0.40. No correlation with DAS28CRP was seen. No statistically significant correlations were observed between changes in WBMRI26, US28, and DAS28CRP during treatment. Conclusions: WBMRI and ultrasound joint inflammation sum scores at patient level showed good agreement in clinically active RA patients before TNF-I initiation, whereas agreement was poorer at joint level, and after treatment.

Sociodemographic determinants and health outcome variation in individuals with type 1 diabetes mellitus: A register-based study.

BACKGROUND: Socioeconomic status, origin or demographic attributes shall not determine the quality of healthcare delivery, according to e.g. United Nations and European Union rules. Health equity has been defined as the absence of systematic disparities and unwarranted differences between groups defined by differences in social advantages. A study was performed to investigate whether this was applicable to type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) care in a setting with universal, tax-funded healthcare. METHODS: This retrospective registry-study was based on patient-level data from individuals diagnosed with T1D during 2010-2011 (n = 16,367) in any of seven Swedish county councils (covering ~65% of the Swedish population). Health equity in T1D care was analysed through multivariate regression analyses on absolute HbA1c level at one-year follow-up, one-year change in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and one-year change in cardiovascular risk score, using selected sociodemographic dimensions as case-mix factors. RESULTS: Higher educational level was consistently associated with lower levels of HbA1c, and so was being married. Never married was associated with worse eGFR development, and lower educational level was associated with higher cardiovascular risk. Women had higher HbA1c levels than men, and glucose control was significantly worse in patients below the age of 25. CONCLUSION: Patients' sociodemographic profile was strongly associated with absolute levels of risk factor control in T1D, but also with an increased annual deterioration in eGFR. Whether these systematic differences stem from patient-related problems or healthcare organisational shortcomings is a matter for further research. The results, though, highlight the need for intensified diabetes management education and secondary prevention directed towards T1D patients, taking sociodemographic characteristics into account.

Tele-Health Followup Strategy for Tight Control of Disease Activity in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE: To test the effect of patient-reported outcome (PRO)-based tele-health followup for tight control of disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and the differences between tele-health followup performed by rheumatologists or rheumatology nurses. METHODS: A total of 294 patients were randomized (1:1:1) to either PRO-based tele-health followup carried out by a nurse (PRO-TN) or a rheumatologist (PRO-TR), or conventional outpatient followup by physicians. The primary outcome was a change in the Disease Activity Score in 28 joints (DAS28) after week 52. Secondary outcomes were physical function, quality of life, and self-efficacy. The noninferiority margin was a DAS28 score change of 0.6. Mean differences were estimated following per protocol, intent-to-treat (ITT), and multivariate imputation analysis. RESULTS: Overall, patients had low disease activity at baseline and end followup. Demographics and baseline characteristics were similar between groups. Noninferiority was established for the DAS28. In the ITT analysis, mean differences in the DAS28 score between PRO-TR versus control were -0.10 (90% confidence interval [90% CI] -0.30, 0.13) and -0.19 (90% CI -0.41, 0.02) between PRO-TN versus control. When including 1 yearly visit to the outpatient clinic, patients in PRO-TN had mean ± SD 1.72 ± 1.03 visits/year, PRO-TR had 1.75 ± 1.03 visits/year, and controls had 4.15 ± 1.0 visits/year. This included extra visits due to inflammatory flare. CONCLUSION: Among RA patients with low disease activity or remission, a PRO-based tele-health followup for tight control of disease activity in RA can achieve similar disease control as conventional outpatient followup. The degree of disease control did not differ between patients seen by rheumatologists or rheumatology nurses.

Magnetic resonance imaging assessed inflammation in the wrist is associated with patient-reported physical impairment, global assessment of disease activity and pain in early rheumatoid arthritis: longitudinal results from two randomised controlled trials.

OBJECTIVES: To examine whether MRI assessed inflammation and damage in the wrist of patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are associated with patient-reported outcomes (PROs). METHODS: Wrist and hand MRIs of 210 patients with early RA from two investigator-initiated, randomised controlled studies (CIMESTRA/OPERA) were assessed according to the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology RA MRI score (RAMRIS) for synovitis, tenosynovitis, osteitis, bone erosions and joint space narrowing (JSN) at baseline, 1 and 5 years follow-up. These features, and changes therein, were assessed for associations with health assessment questionnaires (HAQ), patient global visual analogue scales (VAS-PtGlobal) and VAS-pain using Spearman's correlations, generalised estimating equations and univariate/multivariable linear regression analyses. MRI features were further tested for trends against specific hand-related HAQ items using Jonckheere trend tests. RESULTS: MRI inflammation, but not damage, showed statistically significant associations with HAQ, VAS-PtGlobal and VAS-pain for status and change scores, independently of C reactive protein and swollen joint count. MRI-assessed synovitis was most consistently associated with PROs, particularly VAS-PtGlobal and VAS-pain. MRI-assessed synovitis and tenosynovitis mean scores were positively associated with patient-reported difficulty to cut meat and open a milk carton (p<0.01), and similar patterns were seen for other hand-related HAQ items. Incorporating metacarpophalangeal joints in the analyses did not strengthen the associations between MRI pathology and PROs. CONCLUSIONS: MRI-assessed inflammation, but not damage, in early RA wrists is associated with patient-reported physical impairment, global assessment of disease activity and pain and influences the physical function in the hand. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT00660647.

Clearance of Sclerostin, Osteocalcin, Fibroblast Growth Factor 23, and Osteoprotegerin by Dialysis.

INTRODUCTION: Fibroblast growth factor (FGF23), sclerostin, osteocalcin, and osteoprotegerin are important factors that control mineral bone metabolism. End-stage renal disease is associated with the pronounced dysregulation of mineral bone metabolism; however, the impact and clearance of mineral bone metabolism factors during dialysis remain largely undescribed. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study, 10 chronic hemodialysis patients were treated with hemodialysis for 8 h using a high-flux filter and a dialysate bath of 50% calculated total body water continuously recycled at a rate of 500 mL/min. Plasma and dialysate concentrations of FGF23, sclerostin, osteoprotegerin, and osteocalcin were measured at 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 h permitting the estimation of dialysis clearance. RESULTS: Clearance of FGF23 was 7.7 mL/min, of sclerostin was 7.6 mL/min, of osteoprotegerin was 1.2 mL/min, and of osteocalcin was 19.7 mL/min. Clearance of FGF23 was correlated to sclerostin and osteoprotegerin clearance and also to the ultrafiltration rate. Although, osteocalcin blood concentrations decreased during dialysis, they rebounded within 6 h. Overall, no significant changes in blood concentrations of the measure mineral bone metabolism factors were observed. CONCLUSIONS: The intradialytic clearance of osteocalcin, FGF23, sclerostin, and osteoprotegerin occurs; however, only clearance of FGF23 is directly correlated with the ultrafiltration rate. The effects of dialytic clearance on mineral bone metabolism are, however, uncertain and intradialytic plasma concentrations of the studied substrates remained largely unchanged.

Cephalic phase of insulin secretion in response to a meal is unrelated to family history of type 2 diabetes.

The pre-absorptive cephalic phase of insulin secretion is elicited during the first ten min of a meal and before glucose levels rise. Its importance for insulin release during the post-absorptive phase has been well documented in animals but its presence or importance in man has become increasingly controversial. We here examined the presence of an early cephalic phase of insulin release in 31 well matched individuals without (n = 15) or with (n = 16) a known family history of type 2 diabetes (first-degree relatives; FDR). We also examined the potential differences in individuals with or without impaired fasting (IFG) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). We here demonstrate that a cephalic phase of insulin secretion was present in all individuals examined and without any differences between control persons and FDR or IFG/IGT. However, the overall importance of the cephalic phase is conjectural since it was unrelated to the subsequent post-absorptive insulin release or glucose tolerance. One of the best predictors of the incremental cephalic phase of insulin release was fasting insulin level and, thus, a relation to degree of insulin sensitivity is likely. In conclusion, an early pre-absorptive and cephalic phase of insulin release is robustly present in man. However, we could not document any relation to family history of Type 2 diabetes nor to the post-absorptive phase and, thus, confirm its importance for subsequent degree of insulin release or glucose tolerance.

Protein-bound solute removal during extended multipass versus standard hemodialysis.

BACKGROUND: Multipass hemodialysis (MPHD) is a recently described dialysis modality, involving the use of small volumes of dialysate which are repetitively recycled. Dialysis regimes of 8 hours for six days a week using this device result in an increased removal of small water soluble solutes and middle molecules compared to standard hemodialysis (SHD). Since protein-bound solutes (PBS) exert important pathophysiological effects, we investigated whether MPHD results in improved removal of PBS as well. METHODS: A cross-over study (Clinical Trial NCT01267760) was performed in nine stable HD patients. At midweek a single dialysis session was performed with either 4 hours SHD using a dialysate flow of 500 mL/min or 8 hours MPHD with a dialysate volume of 50% of estimated body water volume. Blood and dialysate samples were taken every hour to determine concentrations of p-cresylglucuronide (PCG), hippuric acid (HA), indole acetic acid (IAA), indoxyl sulfate (IS), and p-cresylsulfate (PCS). Dialyser extraction ratio, reduction ratio, and solute removal were calculated for these solutes. RESULTS: Already at 60 min after dialysis start, the extraction ratio in the hemodialyser was a factor 1.4-4 lower with MPHD versus SHD, resulting in significantly smaller reduction ratios and lower solute removal within a single session. Even when extrapolating our findings to 3 times 4 h SHD and 6 times 8 h MPHD per week, the latter modality was at best similar in terms of total solute removal for most protein-bound solutes, and worse for the highly protein-bound solutes IS and PCS. When efficiency was calculated as solute removal/litre of dialysate used, MPHD was found superior to SHD. CONCLUSION: When high water consumption is a concern, a treatment regimen of 6 times/week 8 h MPHD might be an alternative for 3 times/week 4 h SHD, but at the expense of a lower total solute removal of highly protein-bound solutes.

A treat-to-target strategy with methotrexate and intra-articular triamcinolone with or without adalimumab effectively reduces MRI synovitis, osteitis and tenosynovitis and halts structural damage progression in early rheumatoid arthritis: results from the OPERA randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether a treat-to-target strategy with methotrexate and intra-articular glucocorticosteroid injections suppresses MRI inflammation and halts structural damage progression in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (ERA), and whether adalimumab provides an additional effect. METHODS: In a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 85 disease-modifying antirheumatic drug-naïve patients with ERA were randomised to receive methotrexate, intra-articular glucocorticosteroid injections and placebo/adalimumab (43/42). Contrast-enhanced MRI of the right hand was performed at months 0, 6 and 12. Synovitis, osteitis, tenosynovitis, MRI bone erosion and joint space narrowing (JSN) were scored with validated methods. Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) was carried out in 14 patients. RESULTS: Synovitis, osteitis and tenosynovitis scores decreased highly significantly (p<0.0001) during the 12-months' follow-up, with mean change scores of -3.7 (median -3.0), -2.2 (-1) and -5.3 (-4.0), respectively. No overall change in MRI bone erosion and JSN scores was seen, with change scores of 0.1 (0) and 0.2 (0). The tenosynovitis score at month 6 was significantly lower in the adalimumab group, 1.3 (0), than in the placebo group, 3.9 (2), Mann-Whitney: p<0.035. Furthermore, the osteitis score decreased significantly during the 12-months' follow-up in the adalimumab group, but not in the placebo group, Wilcoxon: p=0.001-0.002 and p=0.062-0.146. DCE-MRI parameters correlated closely with conventional MRI inflammatory parameters. Clinical measures decreased highly significantly during follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: A treat-to-target strategy with methotrexate and intra-articular glucocorticosteroid in patients with ERA effectively decreased synovitis, osteitis and tenosynovitis and halted structural damage progression as judged by MRI. The findings suggest that addition of adalimumab is associated with further suppression of osteitis and tenosynovitis.

Influence of field strength, coil type and image resolution on assessment of synovitis by unenhanced MRI--a comparison with contrast-enhanced MRI.

OBJECTIVES: To explore if the reliability of synovitis assessment by unenhanced MRI is influenced by different MRI field-strengths, coil types and image resolutions in RA patients. METHODS: Forty-one RA patients and 12 healthy controls underwent hand MRI (wrist and 2(nd)--5(th) metacarpophalangeal joints) at 4 different field-strengths (0.23 T/0.6 T/1.5 T/3.0 T) on the same day. Seven protocols using a STIR sequence with different field-strengths, coils (flex coils/dedicated phased-array extremity coils) and resolution were applied and scored blindly for synovitis (OMERACT-RAMRIS method). A 1.5 T post-contrast T1-weighted sequence was used as gold standard reference. RESULTS: Fair-good agreement (ICC=0.38--0.72) between the standard reference and the different STIR protocols (best agreement with extremity coil and small voxel size at 1.5 T). The accuracy for presence/absence of synovitis was very high per person (0.80--1.0), and moderate-high per joint (0.63--0.85), whereas exact agreements on scores were moderate (0.50--0.66). The intrareader agreement (15 patients and 3 controls) on presence/absence of synovitis was very high (0.87--1.0). CONCLUSIONS: Unenhanced MRI using STIR sequence is only moderately reliable for assessing hand synovitis in RA, when contrast-enhanced MRI is considered the gold standard reference. Contrast injection, field strength and coil type influence synovitis assessment, and should be considered before performing MRI in clinical trials and practice. KEY POINTS: • STIR is only moderately reliable for synovitis assessment, compared with post-contrast-T1-w. • Contrast injection, field strength, and coil type influence synovitis assessment. • Contrast injection is recommended for reliable and reproducible hand synovitis assessment.

Mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis: a 30-year prognosis study.

BACKGROUND: Diffuse mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis (MesP) is the most commonly diagnosed type of glomerulonephritis (GN) in Denmark, with an incidence of 10.8 million per year. In the present study, the 30-year renal survival was estimated. METHODS: A retrospective cohort investigation of 140 patients with biopsy-proven MesP was performed between the period 1967-2006. Factors influencing renal survival were investigated using Cox regression analysis. RESULTS: Renal survival at 5, 10, 20 and 30 years was 87, 78, 59 and 50%, respectively. Female survival after 30 years was significantly better than male survival (70 vs. 40%, p = 0.049). Multivariate analysis, adjusted for age, estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and nephrotic syndrome (NS) was performed for each sex individually. An increase in GFR was associated with a hazard risk (HR) of 0.98 (p = 0.02) in women and 0.99 (p = 0.006) in men. Older age was associated with a HR of 1.04 (p = 0.02) in women and 1.03 (p = 0.004) in men. NS had a poorer prognosis in men (HR 2.53, p = 0.01), but not in women (HR 0.54, p = 0.38). CONCLUSION: Increasing age and decreasing GFR were adversely associated with renal death. Renal prognosis was better for women after 30 years, and NS resulted in a poorer prognosis in men. This suggests that disease course and prognosis are different between men and women.

Bone marrow oedema assessment by magnetic resonance imaging in rheumatoid arthritis wrist and metacarpophalangeal joints: the importance of field strength, coil type and image resolution.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the influence of different MRI unit field strengths, coil types and image resolutions on the OMERACT RA MRI scoring system (RAMRIS) of bone marrow oedema (BME) and image quality. METHODS: Forty-one patients and 12 healthy controls participated in this cross-sectional study. Coronal short tau inversion recovery (STIR) and T1-weighted sequences were obtained at 0.23, 0.6, 1.5 and 3T using flex coils (Flex). Additional STIR sequences were obtained with phased array extremity coils (Extr) (at 0.6 and 1.5T) and higher resolution (at 1.5T). In otal, 338 STIR image sets were anonymized and scored according to RAMRIS and parameters of image quality were measured. RESULTS: The BME sum scores were similar overall when comparing the different MRI units, coil types and voxel sizes, yet significantly higher at the higher resolution of 1.5T Extr compared with 0.23T Flex (P = 0.004), 0.6T Flex (P = 0.03), 1.5T Flex (P = 0.05) and 3T Flex (P = 0.001). Mean differences were relatively minor (0-3.5). Intrareader reliability of BME scores was high [intraclass correlation coefficient ≥ 0.90 for all except 0.23T (0.81) and percentage exact agreement 81-88%]. The smallest detectable difference was better at 0.6, 1.5 and 3T (9-29% of maximum value) than at 0.23T (40%). Image quality was lowest at 0.23T. CONCLUSION: No major, consistent differences were found between BME scores using STIR sequences obtained at different field strengths, coil types and image resolutions, suggesting that these are equally suited for assessment of BME in RA. However, parameters of image quality and intrareader reliability (favouring 0.6, 1.5 and 3T) should be considered when selecting the MRI acquisition strategy.

Whole-body MRI assessment of disease activity and structural damage in rheumatoid arthritis: first step towards an MRI joint count.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of whole-body MRI (WBMRI) to visualize inflammation [synovitis, bone marrow oedema (BME) and enthesitis] and structural damage in patients with RA. METHODS: The 3T WBMR images were acquired in a head-to-toe scan in 20 patients with RA and at least one swollen or tender joint. Short Tau Inversion Recovery and pre- and post-contrast T1-weighted images were evaluated for readability and the presence/absence of inflammation (synovitis, BME and enthesitis) and structural damage (erosions and fat infiltrations) in 76 peripheral joints, 30 entheseal sites and in the spine. RESULTS: The readability was >70% for all individual joints, except for the most peripheral joints of the hands and feet. Synovitis was most frequent in the wrist, first tarsometatarsal, first CMC joints and glenohumeral joints (67-61%); BME in the wrist, CMC, acromioclavicular and glenohumeral joints (45-35%) and erosions in the wrist, MTP and CMC joints (19-16%). Enthesitis at ≥ 1 site was registered in 16 patients. BME was frequently seen in the cervical (20%) but not the thoracic and lumbar spine, while fat infiltrations and erosions were rare. The intrareader agreement was high (85-100%) for all pathologies. The agreement between WBMRI and clinical findings was low. CONCLUSION: Peripheral and axial inflammation and structural damage at joints and entheses was frequently identified by WBMRI, and more frequently than by clinical examination. WBMRI is a promising tool for evaluation of the total inflammatory load of inflammation (an MRI joint count) and structural damage in RA patients.

Multipass haemodialysis: a novel dialysis modality.

INTRODUCTION: Most home haemodialysis (HD) modalities are limited to home use since they are based on a single-pass (SP) technique, which requires preparation of large amounts of dialysate. We present a new dialysis method, which requires minimal dialysate volumes, continuously recycled during treatment [multipass HD (MPHD)]. Theoretical calculations suggest that MPHD performed six times weekly for 8 h/night, using a dialysate bath containing 50% of the calculated body water, will achieve urea clearances equivalent to conventional HD 4 h thrice weekly, and a substantial clearance of higher middle molecules. METHODS: Ten stable HD patients were dialyzed for 4 h using standard SPHD (dialysate flow 500 mL/min). Used dialysate was collected. One week later, an 8-h MPHD was performed. The dialysate volume was 50% of the calculated water volume, the dialysate inflow 500 mL/min-0.5 × ultrafiltration/min and the outflow 500 mL/min + 0.5 × ultrafiltration/min. Elimination rates of urea, creatinine, uric acid, phosphate and ß2-microglobulin (B2M) and dialysate saturation were determined hourly. RESULTS: Three hours of MPHD removed 49, 54, 50, 51 and 57%, respectively, of the amounts of urea, creatinine, uric acid, phosphate and B2M that were removed by 4 h conventional HD. The corresponding figures after 8 h MPHD were 63, 78, 74, 78 and 111%. CONCLUSIONS: Clearance of small molecules using MPHD 6 × 8 h/week will exceed traditional HD 3 × 4 h/week. Similarly, clearance of large molecules will significantly exceed traditional HD and HD 5 × 2.5 h/week. This modality will increase patients' freedom of movement compared with traditional home HD. The new method can also be used in the intensive care unit and for automated peritoneal dialysis.

Correlation between computer-aided dynamic gadolinium-enhanced MRI assessment of inflammation and semi-quantitative synovitis and bone marrow oedema scores of the wrist in patients with rheumatoid arthritis--a cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To test the correlation between assessment of inflammation using dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) analysed by a novel computer-aided approach and semi-quantitative scores of synovitis and bone marrow oedema (BME) using the OMERACT-RA MRI Scoring (RAMRIS) system, in the wrist of patients with RA. METHODS: Fifty-four RA patients had conventional and DCE-MRI of a symptomatic wrist using a low-field 0.2T extremity scanner. RAMRIS synovitis and BME of the wrist joint were done. DCE-MRI data were analysed in three ways: (i) in all images (fully automated approach), (ii) within a large extended region of interest (ROI) placed around the wrist joint (semi-automated approach) and (iii) within a small ROI placed in the area with most visual enhancement (semi-automated approach). Time spent on each procedure was noted. Spearman's rank correlation test was applied to assess the correlation between RAMRIS and the computer-generated dynamic parameters. RESULTS: RAMRIS synovitis (range 2-9), BME (range 0-39) and the dynamic parameters reflecting the number of enhancing voxels were significantly correlated, especially when an extended ROI around the wrist was used (ρ = 0.74; P < 0.01 for synovitis and ρ = 0.82; P < 0.01 for BME). The observer spent on average 20 min (range 12-25 min) to perform RAMRIS, including acquisition of the results in the database, and 8 min (range 7-10 min) to perform all above-mentioned computer-aided analyses. CONCLUSION: Computer-aided analysis of DCE-MRI data correlated with RAMRIS synovitis and BME and was twice as fast to perform. This technique may be useful for quick semi-automated assessment of joint inflammation, but needs further validation.

Magnetic resonance imaging in spondyloarthritis--how to quantify findings and measure response.

Sensitive and reliable tools for monitoring disease activity and damage, and for prognostication, are essential in the management of patients with spondyloarthritis, including ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allows direct visualisation of inflammation in peripheral and axial joints, and peripheral and axial entheses, and has dramatically improved the possibilities for early diagnosis and objective monitoring of the disease process in spondyloarthritis. Truthful, discriminative and feasible scoring systems are available for the assessment of inflammatory activity in the spine and sacroiliac joints in axial spondyloarthritis and in the hands of patients with peripheral psoriatic arthritis. Various systems for assessment of damage in axial and peripheral joints are available, but further studies are needed to document their value in clinical trials and clinical practice. The present article reviews key aspects of the status and recent important advances in MRI in spondyloarthritis, focussing on available MRI tools for assessing activity and damage in peripheral and, particularly, axial joints.