Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 22, 2026
06:31
Erosion Identification in Metacarpophalangeal Joints in Rheumatoid Arthritis using High-Resolution Peripheral Quantitative Computed Tomography
Published on: October 6, 2023
Peripheral bone density in patients with rheumatoid arthritis
Helmut Franck1, Jurgen Gottwalt
1Schwerpunktpraxis für Rheumatologie/Endokrinologie, Godesbergerallee 90, 53175, Bonn, Germany. Hgfranck@gmx.de
Clinical Rheumatology
|June 17, 2009
Summary
Forearm bone density is significantly lower in rheumatoid arthritis patients compared to controls. This bone loss correlates with inflammation, grip strength, and glucocorticoid treatment.
Area of Science:
- Rheumatology
- Orthopedics
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with varying degrees of bone loss across different skeletal sites.
- Understanding site-specific bone mineral density (BMD) changes in RA is crucial for patient management.
- Forearm BMD may offer a sensitive indicator of bone health in RA patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if forearm bone mineral density (BMD) differs between patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and healthy controls.
- To investigate potential correlations between forearm BMD and markers of inflammation, bone resorption, or disease activity in RA.
- To assess the relationship between forearm BMD and factors such as grip strength and medication use in RA.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 421 patients with RA (357 women, 64 men) and a control group.
- Bone mineral density (BMD) was measured at the ultradistal forearm, middistal forearm, lumbar spine, and hip using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA).
- Statistical analyses were performed to compare BMD between RA patients and controls, and to explore correlations with inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein), grip strength, and glucocorticoid treatment.
Main Results:
- Women with RA exhibited significantly lower BMD at both the ultradistal and middistal forearm compared to controls (p < 0.01).
- No significant differences in BMD were observed at the lumbar spine or hip between RA patients and controls.
- Elevated C-reactive protein levels in RA patients were associated with significantly lower BMD at the hip and ultradistal forearm, but not the lumbar spine.
Conclusions:
- Forearm bone mineral density (BMD) is significantly reduced in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and serves as a sensitive marker for bone loss.
- Forearm BMD in RA patients is influenced by inflammatory activity, grip strength, and the use of glucocorticoids.
- Unlike lumbar spine BMD, forearm BMD measurements are more precise and demonstrably lower in RA patients, highlighting its clinical relevance.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:29Bone Disorders
Aging and its effect on bone remodeling is the most common cause of bone disorders. In young and healthy people, bone deposition and resorption happen at an equal rate to maintain optimal bone health.
Bone deposition is also affected by the levels of sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone that promote osteoblast activity and bone matrix synthesis. When the level of these hormones decreases due to aging, it causes a reduction in bone deposition. As a result, bone resorption by osteoclasts...
Bone deposition is also affected by the levels of sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone that promote osteoblast activity and bone matrix synthesis. When the level of these hormones decreases due to aging, it causes a reduction in bone deposition. As a result, bone resorption by osteoclasts...
01:09Bones of the Upper Limb: Radius
The radius is longer of the two bones that make up the human antebrachium or forearm. At the proximal end, the radius articulates with the capitulum of the humerus and the radial notch of the ulna to form the elbow joint. At the distal end, the radius articulates with the ulna via the ulnar notch, forming the distal radioulnar joint. Distally, the radius also attaches to the carpal wrist bones (scaphoid and lunate) to form the radiocarpal joint.
The radius has a nail-shaped head, and a short...
The radius has a nail-shaped head, and a short...
01:21Peripheral Arterial Disease II: Clinical Manifestations and Diagnostic Evaluation
Clinical manifestationsPeripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) manifests through a range of symptoms, from the characteristic intermittent claudication to atypical presentations and severe complications in advanced stages. Intermittent claudication, a hallmark symptom of PAD, presents as exercise-induced muscle pain that typically resolves within minutes of rest. This pain is reproducible and stems from inadequate blood flow, leading to the accumulation of lactic acid produced during anaerobic...