Clin Exp Rheumatol
-
Comparative Study
Number of active joints, not diagnosis, is the primary determinant of function and performance in early synovitis.
A substudy within a larger study of patients with inflammatory arthritis of less than one year, to analyze baseline measures or joint counts, laboratory values, patient questionnaires and ARA diagnostic criteria for rheumatoid arthritis, as predictors of one year performance and functional status. ⋯ The active joint count predicts subsequent performance and function for patients with recent onset, inflammatory synovitis more effectively than whether patients met ARA criteria for RA.