Novel Imaging Markers for Rheumatoid Arthritis

The purpose of this study is to use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) techniques to look at the damage and disease activity progression in the hand and wrist joints of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

The central hypothesis is that ongoing erosions and cartilage loss in rheumatoid arthritis are due to persistent inflammation, which is poorly detected by clinical examination and markers of systemic inflammation.