Ultrasound Imaging of the Foot in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Author Information
Author(s): Catherine J Bowen, Keith Dewbury, Madeline Sampson, Sally Sawyer, Jane Burridge, Christopher J Edwards, Nigel K Arden
Primary Institution: University of Southampton
Hypothesis
What is the inter-observer agreement between a podiatrist and a radiologist in assessing the forefoot of patients with rheumatoid arthritis using musculoskeletal ultrasound?
Conclusion
The study showed good inter-observer agreement between a podiatrist and a radiologist on ultrasound assessment of the forefoot, especially for bursitis and erosions.
Supporting Evidence
- Moderate agreement was found for bursitis and erosions, and fair agreement for synovitis.
- The sensitivity of the podiatrist for detecting bursitis was 82.4%.
- The specificity of the podiatrist for detecting erosions was 80.7%.
- Overall agreement was 83.3% for bursitis, 81.8% for erosions, and 68.3% for synovitis.
Takeaway
Doctors can use ultrasound to check for foot problems in arthritis patients, and both a foot doctor and a radiologist can agree on what they see.
Methodology
Thirty-two patients with rheumatoid arthritis were assessed for synovitis, erosions, and bursitis using musculoskeletal ultrasound by a podiatrist and a radiologist.
Potential Biases
The podiatrist and radiologist were blinded to each other's results to minimize bias.
Limitations
The sample was small and comprised patients with severe disease, which may limit generalizability.
Participant Demographics
31 patients, mean age 59.58 years, 24 female and 7 male.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p < 0.01
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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