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To study the predictive value of clinical remission definitions and ultrasound (US) examination on X-ray progression in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This was an observational prospective multicenter 1-year follow-up cohort of RA patients with moderate disease activity (3.2 DAS28 ≤ 5.1) who started anti-TNF therapy. DAS28ESR, DAS28CRP, SDAI, CDAI, and ACR/EULAR remission criteria were applied and reduced 12-joint US examination was performed at baseline and at 6 and 12 months. At baseline and month 12, radiographs of hands and feet were obtained in a subset of patients. A blind independent reader scored radiographs. X-ray progression was defined as Sharp van der Heijde change score 1 and no progression was defined as ≤0. 319 of 357 patients completed the study; patients had a mean (SD) age of 53.5 (13.1) years, with a disease duration of 7.5 (7.1) years. Laboratory, clinical, and US values significantly improved at month 6, except CRP, with additional improvement at month 12. Remission and low disease activity rates increased at follow-up. In the subset of 115 patients with radiological studies, clinical remission by any definition was not significantly associated with X-ray progression. Patients without PD signal at baseline and month 6 were a lower risk of X-ray progression than patients with PD signal, OR 0.197 (95% CI 0.046-0.861) and 0.134 (95% CI 0.047-0.378), respectively. Absence of PD signal, but not clinical remission predicts lack of X-ray progression. A feasible 12-joint US examination may add relevant information to RA remission criteria.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability of the outcome measures in rheumatology (OMERACT) definitions for ultrasound (US) elementary lesions in gout through an image reading exercise. Images from patients with gout (static images and videos) were collected. As an initial step, we carried out a image reading exercise within the experts of the Pan-American League of Associations for Rheumatology (PANLAR) US Study Group (n = 16). The following step consisted in a web-based exercise with the participation of larger number of sonographers (n = 63) from different centers. Images were rated evaluating the presence/absence of any US elementary lesion. Inter- and intra-reader reliabilities were analyzed using kappa coefficients. Participants were stratified according to their level of experience. In the first exercise, inter-reader kappa values were 0.45 for aggregates, 0.57 for tophus, 0.69 for erosions, and 0.90 for double contour (DC). Intra-reader kappa values were 0.86, 0.76, 0.80, and 0.90, respectively. The web-based exercise showed inter-reader kappa values for aggregates, tophus, erosions, and DC of 0.42, 0.49, 0.69, and 0.79, respectively. The intra-reader kappa values were 0.62, 0.69, 0.77, and 0.85, respectively. Reliability was not influenced by the sonographer’s level of experience. The reliability of the new OMERACT US definitions for elementary lesions in gout ranged from moderate to excellent, depending on the type of lesion.

To develop and evaluate a web application based on multimedia animations, combined with a training program, to improve the prescription of exercises in spondyloarthritis (SpA). After a review of exercises included in the main clinical trials and recommendations of international societies, a multidisciplinary team—rehabilitators, rheumatologists, physiotherapists, computer scientists and graphic designers—developed a web application for the prescription of exercises (EJES-3D). Once completed, this was presented to 12 pairs of rehabilitators–rheumatologists from the same hospital in a workshop. Knowledge about exercise was tested in rheumatologists before and 6 months after the workshop, when they also evaluated the application. The EJES-3D application includes 38 multimedia videos and allows prescribing predesigned programs or customizing them. A patient can consult the prescribed exercises at any time from a device with internet connection (mobile, tablet, or computer). The vast majority of the evaluators (89%) were satisfied or very satisfied and considered that their expectations regarding the usefulness of the web application had been met. They highlighted the ability to tailor exercises adapted to the different stages of the disease and the quality and variety of the videos. They also indicated some limitations of the application and operational problems. The EJES-3D tool was positively evaluated by experts in SpA, potentially the most demanding group of users with the most critical capacity. This allows a preliminary validation of the contents, usefulness, and ease of use. Analyzing and correcting the errors and limitations detected is allowing us to improve the EJES-3D tool.

Sacroiliac joint (SIJ) involvement is a distinctive feature of spondyloarthritis (SpA). The main objective of this study was to assess the validity of color Doppler ultrasound (CDUS) in SIJ. This was a cross-sectional, blinded, case–control study of 108 cases divided into three groups: (a) 53 SpA patients with inflammatory back pain (IBP); (b) 28 SpA patients with no IBP; and (c) 27 healthy mechanical lumbar pain subjects. Physical examinations of the SIJs were assessed as positive or negative in each SIJ and were used as the gold standard. SIJs were examined with CDUS and spectral Doppler, and the SIJs were assessed as positive when both color Doppler and the resistance index (RI) were less than the cut-off point within the SIJs area. A total of 108 cases (53 female; mean age 36 ± 10 years old) were studied. The physical examination of the SIJs was positive in 38 patients (59 SIJs). Ultrasound detected Doppler signal within the SIJs in 37 cases (58 SIJs): 33 of them had symptomatic SpA (52 SIJs), 3 of them had asymptomatic SpA (5 SIJs), and 1 was a healthy control (1 SIJ). The accuracy of CDUS, when compared to physical SIJ examination, at the patient level in the overall group had a sensitivity of 70.3%, a specificity of 85.7%, a positive likelihood ratio of 4.9, and a negative likelihood ratio of 0.36. For the spectral Doppler RI, with an optimal cut-off point ≤0.75, the sensitivity was 76.2%, and the specificity was 77.8%. CDUS of SIJs seems to be a feasible and valid method for detecting active inflammation in patients with SpA.

The diagnosis and treatment of early arthritis is associated with improved patient outcomes. One way to achieve this is by organising early arthritis clinics (EACs). The objective of this project was to develop standards of quality for EACs. The standards were developed using the two-round Delphi method. The questionnaire, developed using the best-available scientific evidence, includes potentially relevant items describing the dimensions of quality of care in the EAC. The questionnaire was completed by 26 experts (physicians responsible for the EACs in Spain and chiefs of the rheumatology service in Spanish hospitals). Two hundred and forty-four items (standards) describing the quality of the EAC were developed, grouped by the following dimensions: (1) patient referral to the EAC; (2) standards of structure for an EAC; (3) standards of process; (4) relation between primary care physicians and the EAC; (5) diagnosis and assessment of early arthritis; (6) patient treatment and follow-up in the EAC; (7) research and training in an EAC; and (8) quality of care perceived by the patient. An operational definition of early arthritis was also developed based on eight criteria. The standards developed can be used to measure/establish the requirements, resources, and processes that EACs have or should have to carry out their treatment, research, and educational activities. These standards may be useful to health professionals, patient associations, and health authorities.

To evaluate a standardised enthesis ultrasound training method, a workshop was conducted to train rheumatologists on enthesis ultrasound. After a theoretical session about ultrasound elementary enthesis lesions (changes in tendon architecture/thickness, bone proliferation/erosion, bursitis or Doppler signal), a reading exercise of 28 entheses’ ultrasonographic images (plantar fasciae, Achilles, origin and insertion of patellar tendon) was completed. Participants scored through an electronic multiple-choice device with six possible lesions in each enthesis. To assess the adequacy and efficacy of the workshop, we explored the following: (1) subjective outcomes: a 12-item structured satisfaction questionnaire (graded 1–5 using Likert scale) and (2) objective outcomes of reliability: sensitivity (Se), specificity (Sp) and percentage of correctly classified cases (CC). Forty-nine participants attended the workshop. The satisfaction questionnaire demonstrated a 4.7 mean global value. The inter-reader Kappa reliability coefficient was moderate for the plantar fascia (0.47), Achilles tendon (0.47), and distal patellar tendons (0.50) and good for the proximal patellar tendon (0.63). The whole group means comparing to teachers’ consensus were as follows: (a) plantar fascia: Se, 73.2%; Sp, 87.7%; CC, 83.3%; (b) Achilles: Se, 66.9%; Sp, 85.0%; CC, 79.5%; (c) distal patellar tendon: Se, 74.6%; Sp, 85.3%; CC, 82.1%; and (d) proximal patellar tendon: Se, 82.2%; Sp, 90.6%; CC, 88%. The proposed learning method seemed to be simple, easily performed, effective and well accepted by the target audience.