Effect of a treatment strategy utilising golimumab, methotrexate and corticosteroids versus methotrexate and corticosteroids in early, untreated psoriatic arthritis (GOLMePsA): a single-centre, double-blind, parallel-group, randomised controlled trial.

Background: The optimal treatment strategy in early psoriatic arthritis remains unknown. We aimed to assess whether the combination of methotrexate and golimumab plus corticosteroids is superior to methotrexate plus corticosteroids in reducing disease activity in early, untreated psoriatic arthritis.

Methods: We did a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, single-centre study in adults with treatment-naïve active psoriatic arthritis.

Neither ultrasound synovitis nor clinical-ultrasound phenotypes of established rheumatoid arthritis predict response to targeted therapy.

Objectives: To identify patient sub-phenotypes using clinical and imaging measures in established rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to establish if baseline ultrasound synovitis and/or baseline patient sub-phenotypes predicts response to targeted therapy (TT).

Methods: An observational cohort study of consecutively recruited patients with established RA starting TT. Participants received clinical assessment, 38-joint musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSUS), measuring grey scale (GS) and power doppler (PD) synovitis/tenosynovitis, and patient reported outcomes (PRO), prior to and 6 months after treatment.

Simulating hierarchical data to assess the utility of ecological versus multilevel analyses in obtaining individual-level causal effects.

Understanding causality, over mere association, is vital for researchers wishing to inform policy and decision making - for example, when seeking to improve population health outcomes. Yet, contemporary causal inference methods have not fully tackled the complexity of data hierarchies, such as the clustering of people within households, neighbourhoods, cities, or regions. However, complex data hierarchies are the rule rather than the exception.

Tight Control and Radiological Progression: The Radiographic Outcomes of the TICOPA Study.

Objective: The Tight Control of Psoriatic Arthritis (TICOPA) study was the first to undertake the treat-to-target approach in psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Our aim was to further investigate the radiographic changes in the TICOPA study.

Methods: The TICOPA trial recruited patients with early treatment-naïve PsA.

Safety and performance of a novel synthetic biomimetic scaffold for iliac crest defect reconstruction during surgical treatment of pelvic girdle pain: a first-in-human trial.

Introduction: Surgical treatment of pelvic girdle pain (PGP) involves arthrodesis of sacroiliac (SI) and pubic symphysis joints. Fusion of pubic symphysis involves the implantation of an autologous iliac crest tricortical graft harvested from the iliac crest. The objective was to assess the safety of a novel synthetic graft substitute (b.

Association between clinical and MRI-detected imaging findings for people with midfoot pain, a cross-sectional study.

Background: Midfoot pain is common but poorly understood, with radiographs often indicating no anomalies. This study aimed to describe bone, joint and soft tissue changes and to explore associations between MRI-detected abnormalities and clinical symptoms (pain and disability) in a group of adults with midfoot pain, but who were radiographically negative for osteoarthritis.

Methods: Community-based participants with midfoot pain underwent an MRI scan of one foot and scored semi-quantitatively using the Foot OsteoArthritis MRI Score (FOAMRIS).

Improving the arthritis component of the SLEDAI-2K.

Objective: To propose a new definition for SLEDAI arthritis informed by imaging.

Methods: We performed a planned secondary analysis of observational data from a multicentre study evaluating SLE patients with inflammatory joint pain (swelling not required) using various clinical instruments, laboratory tests and ultrasound. For SLEDAI arthritis, assessors (blinded to ultrasound) were asked which of the glossary terms for arthritis in any version of the SLEDAI drove their decision to score for arthritis.

A multivariable prediction model to identify anti-CCP positive people in those with non-specific musculoskeletal symptoms in primary care.

Objectives: We aimed to develop a prediction model identifying people presenting to primary care with musculoskeletal symptoms likely to be anti-CCP positive and therefore at risk of developing RA.

Methods: Participants aged ≥16 years, with new-onset non-specific musculoskeletal symptoms and no history of clinical synovitis, completed a symptom questionnaire and had an anti-CCP test. Model development used LASSO-penalized logistic regression, performance was assessed using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) and decision curve analysis, model over-fit was estimated using bootstrapping and cross-validation.

The usefulness of ultrasound in predicting outcomes in patients with shoulder pain: a prospective observational study.

Objectives: Shoulder pain is common but current clinical classification has limited utility. We aimed to determine whether groups of ultrasound-based shoulder pathologies exist and to evaluate outcomes according to identified groups and individual pathologies.

Methods: This was a prospective study of a community-based cohort with shoulder pain referred for their first ultrasound scan at a single radiology unit, with subsequent routine clinical care.

Evaluation of two electronic-rehabilitation programmes for persistent knee pain: protocol for a randomised feasibility trial.

Introduction: Persistent, knee pain is a common cause of disability. Education and exercise treatment are advocated in all clinical guidelines; however, the increasing prevalence of persistent knee pain presents challenges for health services regarding appropriate and scalable delivery of these treatments. Digital technologies may help address this, and this trial will evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of two electronic-rehabilitation interventions: 'My Knee UK' and 'Group E-Rehab'.

Ultrasound to identify systemic lupus erythematosus patients with musculoskeletal symptoms who respond best to therapy: the US Evaluation For mUsculoskeletal Lupus longitudinal multicentre study.

Objectives: To determine whether SLE patients with inflammatory joint symptoms and US synovitis/tenosyovitis achieve better clinical responses to glucocorticoids compared with patients with normal scans. Secondary objectives included identification of clinical features predicting US synovitis/tenosynovitis.

Methods: In a longitudinal multicentre study, SLE patients with physician-diagnosed inflammatory joint pain received intramuscular methylprednisolone 120 mg once.

Muscle deterioration due to rheumatoid arthritis: assessment by quantitative MRI and strength testing.

Objectives: RA patients often present with low muscle mass and decreased strength. Quantitative MRI offers a non-invasive measurement of muscle status. This study assessed whether MRI-based measurements of T2, fat fraction, diffusion tensor imaging and muscle volume can detect differences between the thigh muscles of RA patients and healthy controls, and assessed the muscle phenotype of different disease stages.

Pragmatic randomised controlled trial of very early etanercept and MTX versus MTX with delayed etanercept in RA: the VEDERA trial.

Objectives: We sought to confirm in very early rheumatoid arthritis (ERA) a much greater superiority (30%) of first-line etanercept+methotrexate (ETN+MTX) over treat-to-target MTX (MTX-TT) than previously reported in ERA (14%); and explore whether ETN following initial MTX secures a comparable response to first-line ETN+MTX.

Methods: Pragmatic, open-label, randomised controlled trial of treatment-naïve ERA (≤12 months symptom), Disease Activity Score 28 joint (DAS28)-erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) ≥3.2, rheumatoid factor (RF)+/-anticitrullinated peptide antibody (ACPA) positive or ultrasound power Doppler (PD) if RF and ACPA negative.

Inter- and intra-reader reproducibility of shear wave elastography measurements for musculoskeletal soft tissue masses.

Objective: To determine inter- and intra-reader reproducibility of shear wave elastography measurements for musculoskeletal soft tissue masses.

Materials And Methods: In all, 64 patients with musculoskeletal soft tissue masses were scanned by two readers prior to biopsy; each taking five measurements of shear wave velocity (m/s) and stiffness (kPa). A single lesion per patient was scanned in transverse and cranio-caudal planes.

Investigating the patient acceptable symptom state cut-offs: longitudinal data from a community cohort using the shoulder pain and disability index.

This prospective study aimed to determine the patient acceptable symptom state (PASS) cut-off for the patient reported outcome measure shoulder pain and disability index (SPADI), and evaluate predictors of PASS achievement following standard shoulder care. Patients with shoulder pain, referred for shoulder ultrasound were recruited from a community cohort. Patients completed both SPADI (scored 0-130) and a question on symptom state and followed-up at 6 months.

Toward the Development of Data-Driven Diagnostic Subgroups for People With Patellofemoral Pain Using Modifiable Clinical, Biomechanical, and Imaging Features.

Background: Unfavorable treatment outcomes for people with patellofemoral pain (PFP) have been attributed to the potential existence of subgroups that respond differently to treatment.

Objectives: This study aimed to identify subgroups within PFP by combining modifiable clinical, biomechanical, and imaging features and exploring the prognosis of these subgroups.

Methods: This was a longitudinal cohort study, with baseline cluster analyses.

Prevalence of Periodontal Disease and Periodontopathic Bacteria in Anti-Cyclic Citrullinated Protein Antibody-Positive At-Risk Adults Without Arthritis.

Importance: The prevalence of periodontitis is increased in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and periodontopathic bacteria can citrullinate proteins. Periodontitis may, therefore, be an initiator of RA and a target for prevention. Periodontal disease and periodontal bacteria have not been investigated in at-risk individuals with RA autoimmunity but no arthritis.

Predicting Severe Infection and Effects of Hypogammaglobulinemia During Therapy With Rituximab in Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases.

Objective: To evaluate predictors of serious infection events (SIEs) during rituximab (RTX) therapy and effects of hypogammaglobulinemia on SIE rates, and humoral response and its persistence after discontinuation of RTX in the treatment of rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs).

Methods: A retrospective longitudinal study of 700 RMD patients treated with RTX in a single center was conducted. Immunoglobulin levels were measured at baseline and at 4-6 months after each treatment cycle.

Validity of a two-component imaging-derived disease activity score for improved assessment of synovitis in early rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives: Imaging of joint inflammation provides a standard against which to derive an updated DAS for RA. Our objectives were to develop and validate a DAS based on reweighting the DAS28 components to maximize association with US-assessed synovitis.

Methods: Early RA patients from two observational cohorts (n = 434 and n = 117) and a clinical trial (n = 59) were assessed at intervals up to 104 weeks from baseline; all US scans were within 1 week of clinical exam.

Muscle shear wave elastography in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies: a case-control study with MRI correlation.

Objective: To investigate muscle stiffness in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) using shear wave elastography (SWE) and to correlate the results with muscle strength and MRI features of myositis.

Materials And Methods: Muscle shear wave velocity (SWV) was measured in 23 active IIM patients (13 females, mean age 50.4 ± 16.