title: Development and definition of a simplified scanning procedure and scoring method for Haemophilia Early Arthropathy Detection with Ultrasound (HEAD-US).
abstract: The aim of this study was to develop a simplified ultrasound scanning procedure and scoring method, named Haemophilia Early Arthropathy Detection with UltraSound [HEAD-US], to evaluate joints of patients with haemophilic arthropathy. After an initial consensus-based process involving a multidisciplinary panel of experts, three comprehensive and evidence-based US scanning procedures to image the elbow, knee and ankle were established with the aim to increase sensitivity in detection of early signs of joint involvement while keeping the technique easy and quick to perform. Each procedure included systematic evaluation of synovial recesses and selection of a single osteochondral surface for damage analysis. Based on expert consensus, a simplified scoring system based on an additive scale was created to define the joint status and, in perspective, to offer a tool to evaluate disease progression and monitor the result of treatment in follow-up studies.
authors.affiliation: DISSAL - Università di Genova, Via A. Pastore 1, I-16132 Genova, Italy. carlo.martinoli@libero.it
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martinoli
authors.forename: Ornella
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Della Casa Alberighi
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Minno
authors.forename: Ermelinda
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Graziano
authors.forename: Angelo Claudio
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Molinari
authors.forename: Gianluigi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pasta
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Russo
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Santagostino
authors.forename: Annarita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tagliaferri
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tagliafico
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morfini
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000842:Ankle / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004550:Elbow / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006395:Hemarthrosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006467:Hemophilia A / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D007596:Joints / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D007717:Knee / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards*; D055815:Young Adult