ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to measure radiographic joint space width and to estimate erosion in the hands of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. It showed that joint space width, homogeneity, and invariant moments are parameters to discriminate between the normal and the rheumatoid joint. METHODS: In order to measure the joint space width and to estimate erosion in the finger joint, 32 radiographic images were used - 16 images for training and 16 images for testing. The joint space width was measured in order to quantify the joint space narrowing. Also, homogeneity and invariant moments was computed in order to quantify erosion. Finally, artificial neural networks were constructed and tested as a classifier distinguishing between the normal and the rheumatoid joint. RESULTS: The joint space width of normal was 1.04+/-0.15 mm and the width of patients with rheumatoid arthritis was 0.94+/-0.15 mm. The Homogeneity of normal was 16568.83+/-2669.83 and invariant moments were 6843.45+/-2937.55. They were statistically difference (p<.05). Using these characteristics, artificial neural networks showed that they discriminate between normal and rheumatoid arthritis (AUC=0.91). CONCLUSION: Measuring joint space width, estimating homogeneity, and invariant moments provide the capability to distinguish between a normal joint and a rheumatoid joint.
Subject(s)
Humans , Arthritis, Rheumatoid , Finger Joint , Hand , JointsABSTRACT
The publish summarized three latest systemic reviews and given details of the landmark trail on glucosamine sulfate introduce the yesterday, today and a good future of disease modifying drug for osteoarthritis (DMOAD) on a view. It will helpful to promote the clinical, the assessment and the developing of DMOAD in China.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical usefulness of serial measurement of erythrocyte sediment rate(ESR) and C-reactive protein(CRP) for monitoring the radiological progression in early rheumatoid arthritis(RA). METHODS: Thirty one patients with RA according to the 1987 ACR criteria, with joint symptoms for less than one year, and who had not previously received disease modifying antirheumatic drugs(DMARDs) were assessed from Oct. 1994 to Aug. 1998 in retrospective study. Area under curve(AUC) of ESR and CRP were calculated in these patients. Joing damage in the hands was assessed by modified Sharp's method. RESULTS: Male to female ratio was 1: 3.4. Median age of this group was 45.8+/-13.2 years. Patients who had positive rheumatoid factor were 82%. Mean duration until first visit was 271.9+/-145.8 days. At the first clinic visit, mean ESR and CRP were 50mm/hr and 2.0mg/dL. Mean erosions and joint space narrowing score by modified Sharp's method were 55.2 and 12.4, respectively. Correlation analysis showed that ESR AUC and CRP AUC were significantly associated with radiologic progression. CONCLUSIONS: Elevated over-time ESR and CRP provide a convenient short term correlation with radiologic outcome(i.e. erosions). Elevated over-time ESR and CRP can be used as a guide for therapy.