Validity and reliability of the twenty-eight-joint count for the assessment of rheumatoid arthritis activity.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the validity of the 28-joint count for assessment of joint involvement in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).


METHODS
Joint involvement as determined by the 28- and the 66/68-joint count was compared using data from 735 prospectively studied RA patients.


RESULTS
The joints included in the 28-joint count were more commonly involved than other joints, and findings from the 28-joint count correlated highly with those from the 66/68-joint count in all analyses.


CONCLUSIONS
The 28-joint count is a reliable and valid measure for joint assessment. It is easier to perform than the 66/68-joint count, and it addresses the joints that are critically involved.
Smolen
J S
JS
Second Department of Medicine, Lainz Hospital, Vienna, Austria.
Breedveld
F C
FC
Eberl
G
G
Jones
I
I
Leeming
M
M
Wylie
G L
GL
Kirkpatrick
J
J
D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D004487:Edema / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007596:Joints / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results