title: The OMERACT Ultrasound Group: status of current activities and research directions.
abstract: Ultrasound (US) is a relatively new imaging modality in rheumatology that offers great potential as a diagnostic and management tool. In 2004, an OMERACT Ultrasound Special Interest Group was formed to address the metric qualities of US as a potential outcome measure. A preliminary systematic review highlighted the deficiencies in the literature, particularly with regard to the reliability of interpreting and acquiring images; as a consequence, a number of exercises were proposed to address these issues. This report describes a series of iterative studies that have resulted in improved intra- and inter-reader reliability for detecting and scoring synovitis from both static and real-time images of the hand joints of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The reliability of acquiring images was also enhanced using standardized positions. Future studies will assess the value of US in clinical trials.
authors.affiliation: Academic Unit of Musculoskeletal Disease, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK. medrjw@leeds.ac.uk
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Wakefield
authors.forename: Maria-Antonietta
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: D'Agostino
authors.forename: Annamaria
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Iagnocco
authors.forename: Emilio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Filippucci
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Backhaus
authors.forename: Alexander K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Scheel
authors.forename: Fredrick
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Joshua
authors.forename: Esperanza
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Naredo
authors.forename: Wolfgang A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Grassi
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Moller
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pineda
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Klauser
authors.forename: Marcin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Szkudlarek
authors.forename: Lene
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Terslev
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Balint
authors.forename: George A W
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Bruyn
authors.forename: Wijnand A A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Swen
authors.forename: Sandrine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jousse-Joulin
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kane
authors.forename: Juhani M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Koski
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: O'Connor
authors.forename: Sanja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Milutinovic
authors.forename: Philip G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Conaghan
mesh_terms: D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000639:trends; D050823:Hand Joints / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D015588:Observer Variation; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014465:Ultrasonics; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000639:trends