MRI evaluation of the knee in rheumatoid arthritis.

The knees of forty-three patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were examined using pre- and post-contrast MRI in an attempt to assess the extent and frequency of all abnormalities in the RA knee. Features evaluated by MRI were: synovial thickening, joint effusion, bone destruction, popliteal cysts, periarticular soft tissue swelling, abnormal tendons and bone marrow changes. A scoring system (0-2) was used to determine the relationship between the various signs of RA in order to identify those that may be relevant for the assessment of therapeutic response. It seems that the assessment of inflamed synovium is the major criterion for the determination of disease activity in RA.