OMERACT agreement and reliability study of ultrasonographic elementary lesions in osteoarthritis of the foot

Development of an Ultrasound Imaging Atlas for Grading Osteoarthritis in the First Metatarsophalangeal Joint

OBJECTIVE

Ultrasound (US) imaging may play a fundamental role in the earlier detection and assessment of first metatarsophalangeal joint (MTPJ) osteoarthritis (OA) because of its ability to depict tissue-specific morphologic changes before the point of irreversible structural damage. However, the role of US in supporting the diagnosis of OA in foot joints has not been clearly defined. The aims of this study were to develop a semiquantitative US atlas (the AUT ultrasound imaging [AUTUSI] atlas) to grade the degree of osteoarthritic change in the first MTPJ and to evaluate the intraexaminer and interexaminer reproducibility of using the atlas.

METHODS

US images were obtained from 57 participants (30 participants with radiographically confirmed first MTPJ OA). The AUTUSI atlas supports the examination of grading joint effusion, synovial hypertrophy, synovitis, osteophytes, joint space narrowing, and cartilage thickness. Six examiners used the atlas to independently grade 24 US images across 2 sessions. Intraexaminer and interexaminer reproducibility were determined using percentage agreement and Gwet's AC2.

RESULTS

Observations using the AUTUSI atlas demonstrated almost perfect-to-perfect interexaminer agreement (percentage agreement ranged from 96% to 100%, and Gwet's AC2 values ranged from 0.81 to 1.00) and moderate-to-perfect intraexaminer agreement (percentage agreement ranged from 67% to 100%, and Gwet's AC2 values ranged from 0.54 to 1.00).

CONCLUSION

The AUTUSI atlas demonstrated excellent intraexaminer and interexaminer reproducibility for evaluating first MTPJ joint effusion, synovial hypertrophy, synovitis, joint space narrowing, osteophytes, and cartilage thickness. The AUTUSI atlas affords an opportunity to detect prognostic markers of OA earlier in the disease cascade and has the potential to advance understanding of the pathologic process of first MTPJ OA.

The ultrasound assessment of osteoarthritis: the current status

Traditionally, osteoarthritis (OA) is diagnosed with the clinical examination supplemented by the conventional radiography (CR). In the research literature, the role of ultrasound (US) imaging in the diagnostics of OA has risen steadily during the last two decades. US imaging is cheap and globally widely available often already in primary healthcare. Here, we reviewed the most essential US literature focusing on OA diagnostics and progression prediction using the various search engines. Starting from the year 2000, our search provided 1 445 journal articles. After reviewing the abstracts, 89 articles were finally included. Most of the reviewed articles focused on the imaging of knee and hand OA, whereas only a minority dealt with the imaging of hip, ankle, midfoot, acromioclavicular, and temporomandibular joints. Overall, during the last 20 years, the use of US imaging for OA assessment has increased in the scientific literature. In knee and hand joints, US imaging has been reported to be a promising tool to evaluate OA changes. Furthermore, the reproducibility of US as well as its association to MRI findings are excellent. Importantly, US seems to even outperform CR in certain aspects, such as detection of osteophytes, joint inflammation, meniscus protrusion, and localized cartilage damage (especially at the medial femoral condyle and sulcus area). Based on the reviewed literature, US can be truly considered as a complementary tool to CR in the clinical setup for OA diagnostics. New technical developments may even enhance the diagnostic value of the US in the future.

Bone Marrow Lesions and Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Detected Structural Abnormalities in Patients With Midfoot Pain and Osteoarthritis: A Cross-Sectional Study

OBJECTIVE

To compare magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-detected structural abnormalities in patients with symptomatic midfoot osteoarthritis (OA), patients with persistent midfoot pain, and asymptomatic controls, and to explore the association between MRI features, pain, and foot-related disability.

METHODS

One hundred seven adults consisting of 50 patients with symptomatic and radiographically confirmed midfoot OA, 22 adults with persistent midfoot pain but absence of radiographic OA, and 35 asymptomatic adults underwent 3T MRI of the midfoot and clinical assessment. MRIs were read for the presence and severity of abnormalities (bone marrow lesions [BMLs], subchondral cysts, osteophytes, joint space narrowing [JSN], effusion-synovitis, tenosynovitis, and enthesopathy) using the Foot Osteoarthritis MRI Score. Pain and foot-related disability were assessed with the Manchester Foot Pain and Disability Index.

RESULTS

The severity sum score of BMLs in the midfoot was greater in patients with midfoot pain and no signs of OA on radiography compared to controls (P = 0.007), with a pattern of involvement in the cuneiform-metatarsal joints similar to that in patients with midfoot OA. In univariable models, BMLs (ρ = 0.307), JSN (ρ = 0.423), and subchondral cysts (ρ = 0.302) were positively associated with pain (P < 0.01). In multivariable models, MRI abnormalities were not associated with pain and disability when adjusted for covariates.

CONCLUSION

In individuals with persistent midfoot pain but no signs of OA on radiography, MRI findings suggested an underrecognized prevalence of OA, particularly in the second and third cuneiform-metatarsal joints, where BML patterns were consistent with previously recognized sites of elevated mechanical loading. Joint abnormalities were not strongly associated with pain or foot-related disability.

Ultrasonography of Inflammatory and Structural Lesions in Hand Osteoarthritis: An Outcome Measures in Rheumatology Agreement and Reliability Study

OBJECTIVE

To standardize and assess the reliability of ultrasonographic assessment of inflammatory and structural lesions in patients with hand osteoarthritis (OA).

METHODS

The Outcome Measures in Rheumatology Ultrasound Working Group selected synovial hypertrophy (SH), joint effusion (JE), and power Doppler (PD) signals as the main inflammatory lesions in hand OA, and suggested osteophytes in the scapho-trapezio-trapezoid (STT) and cartilage defects in the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints as novel additions to previous structural scoring systems. A complementary imaging atlas provided detailed examples of the scores. A reliability exercise of static images was performed for the inflammatory features, followed by a patient-based exercise with 6 sonographers testing inflammatory and structural features in 12 hand OA patients. We used Cohen's kappa for intrareader and Light's kappa for interreader reliability for all features except PD, in which prevalence-adjusted bias-adjusted kappa (PABAK) was applied. Percentage agreement was also assessed.

RESULTS

The web-based reliability exercise demonstrated substantial intra- and interreader reliability for all inflammatory features (κ > 0.64). In the patient-based exercise, intra- and interreader reliability, respectively, varied: SH κ = 0.73 and 0.45; JE κ = 0.70 and 0.55; PD PABAK = 0.90 and 0.88; PIP joint cartilage κ = 0.56 and 0.45; and STT osteophytes κ = 0.62 and 0.36. Percentage close agreement was high for all features (>85%).

CONCLUSION

With ultrasound, substantial to excellent intrareader reliability was found for inflammatory features of hand OA. Interreader reliability was moderate, but overall high close agreement between readers suggests that better reliability is achievable after further training. Assessment of osteophytes in the STT joint and cartilage in the PIP joints achieved less reliability and the latter is not endorsed.

International Foot and Ankle Osteoarthritis Consortium review and research agenda for diagnosis, epidemiology, burden, outcome assessment and treatment

OBJECTIVE

To summarise the available evidence relating to the diagnosis, epidemiology, burden, outcome assessment and treatment of foot and ankle osteoarthritis (OA) and to develop an agenda to guide future research.

METHOD

Members of the International Foot and Ankle Osteoarthritis Consortium compiled a narrative summary of the literature which formed the basis of an interactive discussion at the Osteoarthritis Research Society International World Congress in 2021, during which a list of 24 research agenda items were generated. Following the meeting, delegates were asked to rank the research agenda items on a 0 to 100 visual analogue rating scale (0 = not at all important to 100 = extremely important). Items scoring a mean of 70 or above were selected for inclusion.

RESULTS

Of the 45 delegates who attended the meeting, 31 contributed to the agenda item scoring. Nineteen research agenda items met the required threshold: three related to diagnosis, four to epidemiology, four to burden, three to outcome assessment and five to treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Key knowledge gaps related to foot and ankle OA were identified, and a comprehensive agenda to guide future research planning was developed. Implementation of this agenda will assist in improving the understanding and clinical management of this common and disabling, yet relatively overlooked condition.

The EFSUMB Guidelines and Recommendations for Musculoskeletal Ultrasound - Part II: Joint Pathologies, Pediatric Applications, and Guided Procedures

The second part of the Guidelines and Recommendations for Musculoskeletal Ultrasound (MSUS), produced under the auspices of EFSUMB, following the same methodology as for Part 1, provides information and recommendations on the use of this imaging modality for joint pathology, pediatric applications, and musculoskeletal ultrasound-guided procedures. Clinical application, practical points, limitations, and artifacts are described and discussed for every joint or procedure. The document is intended to guide clinical users in their daily practice.

A bibliometric analysis of published research employing musculoskeletal imaging modalities to evaluate foot osteoarthritis

Objectives

Temporal and global changes in research utilising imaging to assess foot osteoarthritis is currently unknown. This study aimed to undertake a bibliometric analysis of published research to: (1) identify the imaging modalities that have been used to evaluate foot osteoarthritis; (2) explore the temporal changes and global differences in the use of these imaging modalities; and (3) to evaluate performance related to publication- and citation-based metrics.

Methods

A literature search was conducted using Scopus to identify studies which had used imaging to assess foot osteoarthritis. Extracted data included publication year, imaging modality, citations, affiliations, and author collaboration networks. Temporal trends in the use of each imaging modality were analysed. Performance analysis and science mapping were used to analyse citations and collaboration networks.

Results

158 studies were identified between 1980 and 2021. Plain radiography was the most widely used modality, followed by computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound imaging (USI), respectively. The number of published studies increased over time for each imaging modality (all P ≥ 0.018). The most productive country was the United States of America (USA), followed by the United Kingdom and Australia. International authorship collaboration was evident in 57 (36.1%) studies. The average citation rate was 23.4 per study, with an average annual citation rate of 2.1.

Conclusions

Published research employing imaging to assess foot osteoarthritis has increased substantially over the past four decades. Although plain radiography remains the gold standard modality, the emergence of MRI and USI in the past two decades continues to advance knowledge and progress research in this field.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13047-022-00549-0.

Real-time versus static scoring in musculoskeletal ultrasonography in patients with inflammatory hand osteoarthritis

Objectives

Agreement between real-time and static ultrasonography has not been studied in musculoskeletal diseases. We studied this agreement in inflammatory hand OA.

Methods

Ultrasonography was performed blinded to clinical information of 30 joints of 75 patients with hand OA, treated with prednisolone in a randomized placebo-controlled double-blind trial. Images were scored real-time at acquisition and stored images were scored static (paired in known chronological order) for inflammatory features and osteophytes (score 0–3). Agreement between methods was studied at joint level with quadratic weighted kappa. At patient level intra-class correlations (ICC) of sum scores and change in sum-scores (delta baseline—week 6) were calculated. Responsiveness of scoring methods was analysed with generalized estimating equations (GEE) with treatment as independent and ultrasonography findings as dependent variable.

Results

Agreement at baseline was good to excellent at joint level (kappa 0.72–0.88) and moderate to excellent at patient level (ICC 0.58–0.91). Agreement for change in sum scores was poor to fair for synovial thickening and effusion (ICC 0.18 and 0.34, respectively), while excellent for Doppler signal (ICC 0.80). Real-time ultrasonography discriminated between prednisolone and placebo with a mean between-group difference of synovial thickening of −2.5 (95% CI: −4.7, −0.3). Static ultrasonography did not show a decrease in synovial thickening.

Conclusion

While cross-sectional agreement between real-time and static ultrasonography is good, static ultrasonography measurement of synovial thickening did not show responsiveness to prednisone therapy while real-time ultrasonography did. Therefore, when ultrasonography is used in clinical trials, real-time dynamic scoring should remain the standard for now.

Expert Consensus on Optimal Acquisition and Development of the International Bowel Ultrasound Segmental Activity Score [IBUS-SAS]: A Reliability and Inter-rater Variability Study on Intestinal Ultrasonography in Crohn's Disease

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Intestinal ultrasound [IUS] is an accurate, patient-centreed monitoring tool that objectively evaluates Crohn's disease [CD] activity. However no current, widely accepted, reproducible activity index exists to facilitate consistent IUS identification of inflammatory activity. The aim of this study is to identify key parameters of CD inflammation on IUS, evaluate their reliability, and develop an IUS index reflecting segmental activity.

METHODS

There were three phases: [1] expert consensus Delphi method to derive measures of IUS activity; [2] an initial, multi-expert case acquisition and expert interpretation of 20 blinded cases, to measure inter-rater reliability for individual measures; [3] refinement of case acquisition and interpretation by 12 international experts, with 30 blinded case reads with reliability assessment and development of a segmental activity score.

RESULTS

Delphi consensus: 11 experts representing seven countries identified four key parameters including: [1] bowel wall thickness [BWT]; [2] bowel wall stratification; [3] hyperaemia of the wall [colour Doppler imaging]; and [4] inflammatory mesenteric fat. Blind read: each variable exhibited moderate to substantial reliability. Optimal, standardised image and cineloop acquisition were established. Second blind read and score development: intra-class correlation coefficient [ICC] for BWT was almost perfect at 0.96 [0.94-0.98]. All four parameters correlated with the global disease activity assessment and were included in the final International Bowel Ultrasound Segmental Activity Score with almost perfect ICC (0.97 [0.95-0.99, p <0.001]).

CONCLUSIONS

Using expert consensus and standardised approaches, identification of key activity measurements on IUS has been achieved and a segmental activity score has been proposed, demonstrating excellent reliability.