title: Computer based methods for measurement of joint space width: update of an ongoing OMERACT project.
abstract: Computer-based methods of measuring joint space width (JSW) could potentially have advantages over scoring joint space narrowing, with regard to increased standardization, sensitivity, and reproducibility. In an early exercise, 4 different methods showed good agreement on measured change in JSW over time in the small joints of the hands and feet. Despite differences in measurement values between methods, measurement of within-joint change over time showed no systematic differences. The within-method variation was small, with intra-operator variation being smaller than inter-operator variation. Although this initial study was limited in terms of the number of patients and timepoints (total 10), the number of joints was relatively high (340 joints), so the results were considered strong evidence supporting the validity of computer-based JSW measurements to continue the study of the potential value of JSW by comparison of measurements to manual scoring of joint space narrowing using the COBRA trial images.
authors.affiliation: University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA. johntsharp@comcast.net
authors.forename: John T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Sharp
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Angwin
authors.forename: Maarten
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boers
authors.forename: Jeff
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Duryea
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: von Ingersleben
authors.forename: James R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.forename: Joost A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Kauffman
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Landewé
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Langs
authors.forename: Cédric
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lukas
authors.forename: Jean-Francis
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Maillefert
authors.forename: Hein J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Bernelot Moens
authors.forename: Philipp
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Peloschek
authors.forename: Vibeke
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Strand
authors.forename: Désirée
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: van der Heijde
mesh_terms: D005384:Finger Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D015588:Observer Variation; D011859:Radiography; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014034:Toes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D014955:Wrist Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology