Swollen, but not tender joints, are independently associated with ultrasound synovitis: results from a longitudinal observational study of patients with established rheumatoid arthritis.
Hilde Berner HammerBrigitte MichelsenJoseph SextonIda K HaugenSella Aarrestad ProvanEspen A HaavardsholmTill UhligTore K KvienPublished in: Annals of the rheumatic diseases (2019)
Swollen joints were strongly associated with ultrasound detected synovitis at both patient and joint level, while this association was not found for tender joints. These results may question if tender joints reflect ongoing inflammation in established RA.