title: Joint counts and physical measures.
abstract: The joint examination is the major source of information to determine clinical status of rheumatoid arthritis in the clinic or in a clinical trial. Quantitative methods may evaluate tenderness, pain on motion, swelling, deformity, and limitation of motion. Use of self-report, simplified, reduced, and binary (normal/abnormal) evaluations are presented in this article with emphasis on using binary evaluations in clinical settings. The uses of grip strength, button test, and walk time are also discussed.
authors.affiliation: Nashville Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Tennessee, USA.
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Fuchs
mesh_terms: D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007596:Joints / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009068:Movement; D010146:Pain; D010808:Physical Examination