Background/Purpose: Wrist joint between radio-ulna and first carpal row; scaphoid and triquetrum bones stabilize the central carpal column and support the flexion-extension or abduction-adduction movements¹. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) chronic disease affects the hand-wrist small joints, causing disability. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the most sensitive diagnosis and disease follow-up method (96%)², that can demonstrates lesions since initial RA phases.Objective: Identify by MRI the most affected wrist bones in 3 different RA clinical phases.

Methods: Exploratory, non-blinded cohort; from Hospital “Dr. José E. González” since Nov. 2016-Feb. 2017, (approved by Ethics and Research Committees); 60 patients assessed by rheumatologists (ACR-EULAR 2010 criteria), were divided into 3 groups: Clinically Suspicious Arthralgia (CSA), 23 (38%); Early RA (ERA), 22 (37%) and RA 15 (25%); accepted to perform MRI 1.5T, dominant hand, simple T1, T1-gadolinium and STIR (coronal and axial sections) sequences; images were assessed by experimented radiologist

Results: Female was predominant with 83% (50); mean age 42 (19-70 years); we evaluated by OMERACT-RAMIRS 1,731 wrist sites of bones and joints, obtaining lesions (synovitis, erosions, osteitis) in 56% (964); synovitis was the most prevalent 46% (445) and Triquetrum bone the most affected in all 3 groups: CSA, 87% (20/23), ERA, 91% (20/22) and RA, 93% (14/15), see Table and Figure

Conclusion: The predominant Triquetral synovitis, could suggest us, be the first morphological site to be considered in the RA evaluation when it´is clinically suspected; however further longitudinal studies are needed to conclude it

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ACR Meeting Abstracts - https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/carpal-bones-affectation-frequency-in-rheumatoid-arthritis-by-magnetic-resonance-imaging/