Abstract/Text: OBJECTIVE: The 1987 American College of Rheumatology (ACR; formerly the American Rheumatism Association) classification criteria for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have been criticised for their lack of sensitivity in early disease. This work was undertaken to develop new classification criteria for RA.
METHODS: A joint working group from the ACR and the European League Against Rheumatism developed, in three phases, a new approach to classifying RA. The work focused on identifying, among patients newly presenting with undifferentiated inflammatory synovitis, factors that best discriminated between those who were and those who were not at high risk for persistent and/or erosive disease--this being the appropriate current paradigm underlying the disease construct 'RA'.
RESULTS: In the new criteria set, classification as 'definite RA' is based on the confirmed presence of synovitis in at least one joint, absence of an alternative diagnosis better explaining the synovitis, and achievement of a total score of 6 or greater (of a possible 10) from the individual scores in four domains: number and site of involved joints (range 0-5), serological abnormality (range 0-3), elevated acute-phase response (range 0-1) and symptom duration (two levels; range 0-1).
CONCLUSION: This new classification system redefines the current paradigm of RA by focusing on features at earlier stages of disease that are associated with persistent and/or erosive disease, rather than defining the disease by its late-stage features. This will refocus attention on the important need for earlier diagnosis and institution of effective disease-suppressing therapy to prevent or minimise the occurrence of the undesirable sequelae that currently comprise the paradigm underlying the disease construct 'RA'.

Abstract/Text: OBJECTIVE: The 1987 American College of Rheumatology (ACR; formerly, the American Rheumatism Association) classification criteria for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have been criticized for their lack of sensitivity in early disease. This work was undertaken to develop new classification criteria for RA.
METHODS: A joint working group from the ACR and the European League Against Rheumatism developed, in 3 phases, a new approach to classifying RA. The work focused on identifying, among patients newly presenting with undifferentiated inflammatory synovitis, factors that best discriminated between those who were and those who were not at high risk for persistent and/or erosive disease--this being the appropriate current paradigm underlying the disease construct "rheumatoid arthritis."
RESULTS: In the new criteria set, classification as "definite RA" is based on the confirmed presence of synovitis in at least 1 joint, absence of an alternative diagnosis that better explains the synovitis, and achievement of a total score of 6 or greater (of a possible 10) from the individual scores in 4 domains: number and site of involved joints (score range 0-5), serologic abnormality (score range 0-3), elevated acute-phase response (score range 0-1), and symptom duration (2 levels; range 0-1).
CONCLUSION: This new classification system redefines the current paradigm of RA by focusing on features at earlier stages of disease that are associated with persistent and/or erosive disease, rather than defining the disease by its late-stage features. This will refocus attention on the important need for earlier diagnosis and institution of effective disease-suppressing therapy to prevent or minimize the occurrence of the undesirable sequelae that currently comprise the paradigm underlying the disease construct "rheumatoid arthritis."

Abstract/Text: With a remarkable improvement in the pharmacotherapy of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), severely handicapped patients are very rare to see. Healing, repair and drug-free, and toward radical cure are coming to be possible. In the clinical practice, more than 50% of the patients are in remission. However, some patients are still difficult to reach remission due to comorbidities and economic burden. In the patient with clinical remission, smoldering synovitis so called "silent destructor" is often detected by ultrasonograpy or by synovial histology in the small joints of the hand. In recent years, over use with "no pain" increases the risk of deformity, osteoarthrosis, tendon rupture and entrapment neuropathy. Highly motivated patients, who concern about the appearance of the hand, hope to get a higher level of activities of daily living and quality of life (QOL). A prospective cohort study was performed for the purpose of knowing whether rheumatoid hand surgery affects the patient's QOL and mental health as well as upper extremity function. A primary hand surgery was scheduled in 119 patients with RA. Synovectomy and Darrach procedure, radiolunate arthrodesis, reconstruction of the extensor tendons, arthroplasty at the metacarpophalangeal (MP) using Swanson implant, fusion at the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint, suspensionplasty at the carpometacarpal (CM) joint of the thumb (Thompson method) et al. were performed. As a result, Japanese version of the Stanford Health Assessment Questionnaire (J-HAQ:physical function,QOL), EuroQOL-5 dimension (EQ-5D:QOL), Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II:depression, mentality) at 6 months and at 12 months after surgery improved significantly compared to those just before surgery (p < 0.01). Disease activity score 28- C reactive protein 4 (DAS28-CRP (4)) decreased significantly (p < 0.01). Latest hand surgery with tight medical control is possible to raise QOL and to provide mental wellness for the patient with RA.

Copyright © 2017 The Japanese Orthopaedic Association. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Abstract/Text: With a remarkable improvement in the pharmacotherapy of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), severely handicapped patients are very rare to see. Healing, repair and drug-free, and toward radical cure are coming to be possible. In the clinical practice, more than 50% of the patients are in remission. However, some patients are still difficult to reach remission due to comorbidities and economic burden. In the patient with clinical remission, smoldering synovitis so called "silent destructor" is often detected by ultrasonograpy or by synovial histology in the small joints of the hand. In recent years, over use with "no pain" increases the risk of deformity, osteoarthrosis, tendon rupture and entrapment neuropathy. Highly motivated patients, who concern about the appearance of the hand, hope to get a higher level of activities of daily living and quality of life (QOL). A prospective cohort study was performed for the purpose of knowing whether rheumatoid hand surgery affects the patient's QOL and mental health as well as upper extremity function. A primary hand surgery was scheduled in 119 patients with RA. Synovectomy and Darrach procedure, radiolunate arthrodesis, reconstruction of the extensor tendons, arthroplasty at the metacarpophalangeal (MP) using Swanson implant, fusion at the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint, suspensionplasty at the carpometacarpal (CM) joint of the thumb (Thompson method) et al. were performed. As a result, Japanese version of the Stanford Health Assessment Questionnaire (J-HAQ:physical function,QOL), EuroQOL-5 dimension (EQ-5D:QOL), Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II:depression, mentality) at 6 months and at 12 months after surgery improved significantly compared to those just before surgery (p < 0.01). Disease activity score 28- C reactive protein 4 (DAS28-CRP (4)) decreased significantly (p < 0.01). Latest hand surgery with tight medical control is possible to raise QOL and to provide mental wellness for the patient with RA.

Copyright © 2017 The Japanese Orthopaedic Association. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Abstract/Text: With a remarkable improvement in the pharmacotherapy of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), severely handicapped patients are very rare to see. Healing, repair and drug-free, and toward radical cure are coming to be possible. In the clinical practice, more than 50% of the patients are in remission. However, some patients are still difficult to reach remission due to comorbidities and economic burden. In the patient with clinical remission, smoldering synovitis so called "silent destructor" is often detected by ultrasonograpy or by synovial histology in the small joints of the hand. In recent years, over use with "no pain" increases the risk of deformity, osteoarthrosis, tendon rupture and entrapment neuropathy. Highly motivated patients, who concern about the appearance of the hand, hope to get a higher level of activities of daily living and quality of life (QOL). A prospective cohort study was performed for the purpose of knowing whether rheumatoid hand surgery affects the patient's QOL and mental health as well as upper extremity function. A primary hand surgery was scheduled in 119 patients with RA. Synovectomy and Darrach procedure, radiolunate arthrodesis, reconstruction of the extensor tendons, arthroplasty at the metacarpophalangeal (MP) using Swanson implant, fusion at the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint, suspensionplasty at the carpometacarpal (CM) joint of the thumb (Thompson method) et al. were performed. As a result, Japanese version of the Stanford Health Assessment Questionnaire (J-HAQ:physical function,QOL), EuroQOL-5 dimension (EQ-5D:QOL), Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II:depression, mentality) at 6 months and at 12 months after surgery improved significantly compared to those just before surgery (p < 0.01). Disease activity score 28- C reactive protein 4 (DAS28-CRP (4)) decreased significantly (p < 0.01). Latest hand surgery with tight medical control is possible to raise QOL and to provide mental wellness for the patient with RA.

Copyright © 2017 The Japanese Orthopaedic Association. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Abstract/Text: Although the thumb is frequently involved in rheumatoid arthritis, causing significant functional loss as well as pain and deformity, much can be done surgically to alleviate the condition and restore function to the patient. It is important to understand the factors leading to the various thumb deformities. With this understanding it is possible to formulate a rational treatment programme which will benefit the patient and satisfy the surgeon.