Arthritis Of Finger Joints Research Articles

Lipofilling in Osteoarthritis of the Finger Joints: Initial Prospective Long-Term Results.

There is considerable interest in the possibility of offering an alternative and less invasive method of treatment for osteoarthritis that will preserve the joint. This article presents for the first time the long-term results of a prospective study following autologous fat transfer to arthritic finger joints. The authors report on 28 finger joints with osteoarthritis that they treated by injecting fatty tissue into the joints. The degree of pain, force of pinch grip, and fist closure were assessed and hand function was determined using the German version of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand questionnaire. The average follow-up period during the study was 44 months. The median force of pinch grip rose highly significantly from 2.00 kg (range, 0.00 to 11.00 kg) to 4.30 kg (range, 2.00 to 12.00 kg) (p < 0.001). The median force of fist closure rose from 15.00 kg (range, 2.00 to 44.00 kg) to 18.00 kg (range, 3.78 to 42.00 kg) (p = 0.082). The median Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand value improved nonsignificantly from 50 (range, 3 to 72) to 25 (range, 0 to 85) (p = 0.129). The median level of pain experienced showed a highly significant improvement from 6.0 (range, 1.0 to 10.0) to 0.5 (range, 0.0 to 6.5) (p < 0.001). Even over a long-term study period, the transfer of fatty tissue to arthritic finger joints has shown itself to be a minimally invasive, safe and promising alternative treatment to conventional surgical procedures that offers significant improvements in terms of osteoarthritis symptoms. Because this method preserves the joint, conventional resection surgery still remains a later option. Therapeutic, IV.

Application Of Deep Learning Techniques For Effective Assessment And Prediction Of Arthritis In Aged People

Arthritis is an autoimmune disorder characterized by chronic synovial inflammation mainly leading to the destruction of joints and bone erosions. In aged people, arthritis is more common than any other disease, and it causes pain in the musculoskeletal system that lowers the quality of life of patients. The use of deep learning in medicine is increasing and has provided new avenues for research into a number of diseases. In this paper, we are using deep learning for detection of arthritis in finger joints from X-ray images of hand based on convolutional neural networks. For training 70 X-ray pictures are taken and for testing 10 X-ray pictures are taken. This system achieved more accuracy for test data sets. The proposed method will aid clinical researchers to learn more on arthritis.

AB0786 Clinical results of swanson and avanta silastic implant arthroplasty of the metacarpophalangeal for the rheumatoid hand

BackgroundThe arthroplasty of the metacarpophalangeal (MCP) for the rheumatoid hand was first described in 1940 by using vitallium prosthesis. After that, metallic hinge type, ball & socket type, surface replacement...

Recent Advances in Contrast-Enhanced near Infrared Diffuse Optical Imaging of Diseases Using Indocyanine Green

Due to its spectral and binding properties, the well-tolerated near-infrared absorbing and fluorescent dye indocyanine green (ICG) has found various applications in diffuse optical imaging of diseases in humans. Here, we review applications of this dye for the detection of breast cancer, for perfusion monitoring of the brain in ischaemic stroke and during cardiac surgery, and for the detection of rheumatoid arthritis in finger joints. We give a short overview of the properties of ICG which are relevant for diffuse optical imaging and summarise clinical applications of the dye. Then we describe the experimental methods used for contrast-enhanced imaging of breast cancer with ICG, and we discuss the results of studies on patients with breast lesions. Generally, after intravenous application an increased concentration of ICG in breast carcinomas was observed. In part, differences in ICG pharmacokinetics between malignant lesions, benign lesions and healthy tissue were reported. In a recent study, fluorescence measurements revealed significant differences in extra-vasation of ICG between malignant and benign breast lesions. In brain imaging, ICG has been used as a tracer to assess perfusion of the cortex. Measurements on stroke patients have been performed by comparing the arrival times of a bolus in the affected and in the healthy hemisphere of the brain. Furthermore, ICG boluses have been applied to monitor cerebral blood flow during cardiac surgery. We review the results of the available studies based on either continuous wave light sources, frequency domain techniques, or time domain techniques, and we discuss the depth selectivity of these methods. In one of the studies, fluorescence detection of ICG was investigated and compared to absorption detection used so far. When employed for the detection of rheumatoid arthritis in finger joints, the time course of the ICG distribution in the tissue after intravenous bolus injection was recorded by measuring ICG fluorescence in reflection geometry. We describe the features of the experimental technique and discuss the results of clinical studies performed so far. Finally, we summarise the properties of ICG exploited as contrast mechanisms in diffuse optical imaging.

Frequency-Domain Optical Tomographic Imaging of Arthritic Finger Joints

We are presenting data from the largest clinical trial on optical tomographic imaging of finger joints to date. Overall we evaluated 99 fingers of patients affected by rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and 120 fingers from healthy volunteers. Using frequency-domain imaging techniques we show that sensitivities and specificities of 0.85 and higher can be achieved in detecting RA. This is accomplished by deriving multiple optical parameters from the optical tomographic images and combining them for the statistical analysis. Parameters derived from the scattering coefficient perform slightly better than absorption derived parameters. Furthermore we found that data obtained at 600 MHz leads to better classification results than data obtained at 0 or 300 MHz.

High‐resolution interleaved water‐fat MR imaging of finger joints with chemical‐shift elimination

To study the use of an interleaved water-fat (IWF) sequence with a custom-made radiofrequency (RF) coil for high-resolution imaging of arthritic finger joints. High-resolution finger magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed using a custom-made dedicated RF receiver coil and an IWF sequence. A phantom, a cadaver finger specimen, and the fingers of two normal controls and six arthritic subjects were imaged with a resolution of 156 × 156 × 600 μm. The appearance of anatomic structures on the IWF images were compared with images acquired with a regular sequence. The images were reviewed by two musculoskeletal radiologists for the depiction of anatomical structures and for the presence of abnormalities. The high-resolution images revealed detailed structures of the finger joints not detectable using typical clinical resolution. The IWF sequence gave more realistic depiction of subchondral bone thickness, and avoided false bone erosions displayed in the regular sequence. It also allowed better visualization of ligaments and tendons. This pilot study shows the feasibility and the potential usefulness of high-resolution IWF imaging for finger joint evaluation. This technique may be useful for the diagnosis and treatment assessment of arthritis, and for the study of joint disease pathogenesis.

Detection of Rheumatoid Arthritis Using Non-Specific Contrast Enhanced Fluorescence Imaging

The aim of this study was to develop a new tool for the early detection of inflammatory joint diseases using fluorescence imaging in the near-infrared (NIR) spectral range following the intravenous administration of an unspecific contrast agent. A laser-supported system for fluorescence imaging of finger joints was designed and constructed. Five patients and a corresponding number of volunteers were examined using 0.1 mg/kg by weight of indocyanine green as an unspecific contrast agent. Fluorescence images were acquired continuously over a period of 15 minutes. As a control, 1 day before optical imaging, all patients and volunteers underwent contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 0.2 T. On the basis of MRI findings, all examined joints were divided into four groups: no change and mild, moderate, and severe synovitis. The emitted fluorescence photons were quantified in different regions of interest covering the finger joints and finger tips. The normalized fluorescence intensity of contrast agents was compared with MRI findings as a proven standard. NIR dyes of the cyanine class are enriched in inflammatory joints and show a different kinetic behavior compared to normal joints after bolus injection. These findings demonstrate clearly the capability of contrast-enhanced fluorescence imaging to detect early changes caused by rheumatoid arthritis in finger joints. The NIR results were correlated with MRI findings (r = 0.84). Contrast-enhanced fluorescence imaging provides adequate information for the evaluation of inflammatory involvement of finger joints comparable to low-field MRI.

High-resolution SPECT imaging of bony pathology in early arthritis of finger joints

High-resolution SPECT imaging of bony pathology in early arthritis of finger joints

A case of mixed connective tissue disease showing a lymphoid follicle in muscle pathology

We report a 74-year-old man suffering from mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) accompanied by a lymphoid follicle in muscle pathology. He showed proximal muscle weakness and arthritis in finger joints. His laboratory findings were characteristic of MCTD. Prednisolone administration favorably improved his symptoms. A lymphoid follicle is a rare pathological finding in inflammatory myopathies. The immunohistochemical findings suggest that the lymphoid follicle would be involved in the specific role for the pathogenesis of MCTD.

Imaging of Rheumatoid Arthritis in Finger Joints by Sagittal Optical Tomography

Summary In early stages of rheumatoid arthritis some changes in joints arise due to an inflammatory process. In the case of transillumination with near infrared light these changes affect the radiation transport in joints. We performed first numerical simulations for a basic approach of a sagittal optical tomographic imaging method that led to promising results. For this purpose, the optical properties of the different tissue types in joints were measured and NMR images were used for geometrical model development and visualisation of rheumatoid arthritis.

Flexor tendon synovectomy of the hand in rheumatoid arthritis. A follow-up study of 201 operated hands.

A follow-up study of 201 flexor tendon synovectomies of the hand in patients with rheumatoid arthritis is presented. The operations were performed from 1/2-49 years after onset of the disease, and the patients were between 16 and 76 years of age. The follow-up study is based on questionnaires and, in addition, 78% of the patients also had a physical re-examination. The follow-up time spanned 12-78 months. Nearly 70% of the operated hands were subjectively improved; the others were unchanged or worse. The poor results were often caused by progression of arthritis in finger joints. Recurrence of the tenosynovitis was observed in about 37% of the hands, but in very few to such an extent that reoperation has been necessary.

Flexible implant arthroplasty for arthritic finger joints

Flexible implant arthroplasty for arthritic finger joints

Post-operative eye massage in cases of glaucoma.

THE importance of regular massage after filtration operations for glaucoma is stressed by most authorities. The difficulty of implementing this advice is great in most cases, since few patients have the touch and understanding to carry out their instructions properly. In elderly patients with arthritic finger joints and a defective sense of touch, etc., to advise massage may mean endangering the eye. To avoid such risks and to make it easy for the most unintelligent to apply regular massage a simple and cheap appliancet has been devised, which has given satisfaction during the last few months.