title: A reliability study using computer-based analysis of finger joint space narrowing in rheumatoid arthritis patients.
abstract: The joint space difference index (JSDI) is a newly developed radiographic index which can quantitatively assess joint space narrowing progression of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients by using an image subtraction method on a computer. The aim of this study was to investigate the reliability of this method by non-experts utilizing RA image evaluation. Four non-experts assessed JSDI for radiographic images of 510 metacarpophalangeal joints from 51 RA patients twice with an interval of more than 2 weeks. Two rheumatologists and one radiologist as well as the four non-experts examined the joints by using the Sharp-van der Heijde Scoring (SHS) method. The radiologist and four non-experts repeated the scoring with an interval of more than 2 weeks. We calculated intra-/inter-observer reliability using the intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) for JSDI and SHS scoring, respectively. The intra-/inter-observer reliabilities for the computer-based method were almost perfect (inter-observer ICC, 0.966-0.983; intra-observer ICC, 0.954-0.996). Contrary to this, intra-/inter-observer reliability for SHS by experts was moderate to almost perfect (inter-observer ICC, 0.556-0.849; intra-observer ICC, 0.589-0.839). The results suggest that our computer-based method has high reliability to detect finger joint space narrowing progression in RA patients.
authors: Graduate School of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, North-12 West-5, Kita-ku, Sapporo City, 060 0812, Japan.
authors: Katsuya
authors: K
authors: Hatano
authors: Faculty of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, North-12 West-5, Kita-ku, Sapporo City, 060 0812, Japan. ktamotamo2@yahoo.co.jp.
authors: Tamotsu
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7293-7471
authors: T
authors: Kamishima
authors: Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, N15 W7, Kita-ku, Sapporo City, 060-0815, Japan.
authors: Kenneth
authors: K
authors: Sutherland
authors: Division of Rheumatology, Endocrinology and Nephrology, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, N15 W7, Kita-ku, Sapporo City, 060-0815, Japan.
authors: Masaru
authors: M
authors: Kato
authors: Division of Rheumatology, Endocrinology and Nephrology, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, N15 W7, Kita-ku, Sapporo City, 060-0815, Japan.
authors: Ikuma
authors: I
authors: Nakagawa
authors: Graduate School of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, North-12 West-5, Kita-ku, Sapporo City, 060 0812, Japan.
authors: Shota
authors: S
authors: Ichikawa
authors: Department of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, North-12 West-5, Kita-ku, Sapporo City, 060 0812, Japan.
authors: Keisuke
authors: K
authors: Kawauchi
authors: Department of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, North-12 West-5, Kita-ku, Sapporo City, 060 0812, Japan.
authors: Shota
authors: S
authors: Saitou
authors: Division of Rheumatology and Hematology, Department of Medicine, Sapporo City General Hospital, 1-1, Nishi13-chome, Kita11jo, Chuo-ku, Sapporo City, 060-8604, Japan.
authors: Masaya
authors: M
authors: Mukai
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy; D001688:Biological Products / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D008662:Metacarpophalangeal Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D001688:Biological Products
keywords: Computer-based analysis; Joint space narrowing; Radiography; Reliability; Rheumatoid arthritis