Radiographic scoring methods in hand osteoarthritis--a systematic literature search and descriptive review

Area of Science:

• Rheumatology
• Orthopedics
• Radiology

Background:

• Hand osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent degenerative joint disease.
• Conventional radiography (CR) is a primary imaging modality for assessing structural damage in hand OA.
• Various scoring methods exist for quantifying radiographic features of hand OA, leading to potential inconsistencies in research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the literature on the use of conventional radiography (CR) in hand osteoarthritis (OA).
• To evaluate the metric properties (reliability, sensitivity to change, feasibility, validity) of different radiographic scoring methods for hand OA.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search of medical databases up to November 2013.
• Inclusion of studies reporting on radiographic scoring of structural damage in hand OA.
• Evaluation of scoring methods based on discrimination (reliability, sensitivity to change), feasibility, and validity.

Main Results:

• Thirteen different radiographic scoring methods were identified in 48 included studies.
• All evaluated scoring methods demonstrated good reliability for both cross-sectional and longitudinal assessments.
• Responsiveness to change was similar across methods, with limited evidence on feasibility and mixed evidence on validity (stronger association with symptoms/function than clinical findings).

Conclusions:

• Multiple radiographic scoring methods are utilized in hand OA literature.
• Lack of consensus on a preferred scoring method, joint selection, and data presentation hinders cross-study comparability.
• Establishing a standardized approach is crucial for advancing hand OA research and clinical practice.