Decrease in bone mineral density during three months after diagnosis of early rheumatoid arthritis measured by digital X-ray radiogrammetry predicts radiographic joint damage after one year

• Published in: Arthritis research & therapy 2017-09, Vol.19 (1), p.195-195, Article 195
• Main Authors: Ziegelasch, Michael, Forslind, Kristina, Skogh, Thomas, Riklund, Katrine, Kastbom, Alf, Berglin, Ewa
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Analysis; Antirheumatic Agents - pharmacology; Arthritis, Rheumatoid - diagnostic imaging; Arthritis, Rheumatoid - drug therapy; Arthritis, Rheumatoid - epidemiology; Bone density; Bone Density - drug effects; Bone Density - physiology; Bone mineral density; Clinical Medicine; Development and progression; Diagnosis; Diagnostic imaging; Digital X-ray radiogrammetry; Disease Progression; Early Diagnosis; Early rheumatoid arthritis; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Hand Joints - diagnostic imaging; Hand Joints - drug effects; Humans; Klinisk medicin; Male; Medical and Health Sciences; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Middle Aged; Predictive Value of Tests; Radiographic Image Enhancement - trends; Reumatologi och inflammation; Rheumatoid arthritis; Rheumatology and Autoimmunity; Sweden - epidemiology
• ISSN: 1478-6362; 1478-6354; 1478-6362
• DOI: 10.1186/s13075-017-1403-0

Periarticular osteopenia is an early sign of incipient joint injury in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but cannot be accurately quantified using conventional radiography. Digital X-ray radiogrammetry (DXR) is a computerized technique to estimate bone mineral density (BMD) from hand radiographs. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether decrease in BMD of the hands (BMD loss), as determined by DXR 3 months after diagnosis, predicts radiographic joint damage after 1 and 2 years in patients with early RA. Patients (n = 176) with early RA (