Assessing single joints in arthritis clinical trials

Area of Science:

• Rheumatology
• Clinical Trials
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Validated outcome measures are essential for evaluating single joint therapies.
• A task force established in 2004 assesses measures using the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) filter (truth, discrimination, feasibility).
• This report details proceedings from the OMERACT 9 meeting concerning single joint assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and assess established and novel outcome measures for single joint assessment, particularly for knee arthritis.
• To evaluate imaging modalities for knee joints against the OMERACT filter criteria.
• To identify challenges and provide an evidence base for establishing core outcome domains in future therapeutic studies.

Main Methods:

• Updated literature review of knee joint imaging modalities.
• Examination of patient-reported, clinical examination, and imaging outcomes in knee arthritis therapeutic studies.
• Discussion of challenges in defining appropriate outcome domains for various conditions and interventions.

Main Results:

• An updated literature review assessed knee imaging modalities for their adherence to the OMERACT filter.
• Studies examining patient-reported, clinical, and imaging outcomes in knee arthritis were reported.
• Discussions highlighted ongoing challenges in domain selection for diverse conditions and therapies.

Conclusions:

• The ongoing work of the Special Interest Group (SIG) provides an evidence base for developing a core domain set for single joint outcome assessment.
• Addressing challenges in domain selection is critical for evaluating a range of conditions and therapeutic interventions.
• This evidence base will support the incorporation of standardized outcomes in future single joint therapeutic studies.