Patterns of Involvement of the Hand Joints in Classical Rheumatoid Arthritis

Symmetrical involvement of the hand joints is described as characteristic of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Quantitative data on specific patterns of involvement are lacking.

The Brigham Rheumatoid Arthritis Sequential Study was created for observational studies of patients with RA and afforded a unique opportunity to answer these questions.

Of 1598 subjects in the Brigham Rheumatoid Arthritis Sequential Study cohort, 535 met the following criteria: (1) disease duration of 7 years or greater, (2) seropositive, and (3) hand radiographs available. Patterns in specific hand joints based on physical examination and radiographic findings obtained at entry were identified. The level of symmetry of involvement of the metacarpophalangeal (MCP) and wrist joints was determined, as was the correlation between findings on physical examination and radiographic changes in the hand joints.

The prevalence of joint space narrowing and/or erosions in each proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints ranged between 11% and 18%. Joint space narrowing and/or erosions in the MCPs increased radially from the fifth to the second finger. Swelling and tenderness on physical examination of both the PIPs and MCPs also increased radially although the positive predictive value of physical examination as an indicator of joint damage decreased radially. The wrist was the most common joint involved both by physical examination (67%) and radiographically (70%). The right side was more involved radiographically. Analysis of radiographic changes in individual patients revealed that symmetrical findings in the wrists and MCPs occurred in only 67% of patients.

The study describes the pattern of involvement of the hand joints in patients with long standing RA. Findings of interest include symmetrical involvement in only 67% of patients and a discordancy between physical findings and radiographic changes most marked in the more radial PIP joints.