Objectives To explore associations between MRI features and measures of pain and physical function in hand osteoarthritis (OA). Methods Eighty-fi ve patients (77 women) with mean (SD) age of 68.8 (5.6) years underwent contrast-enhanced MRI of the interphalangeal joints (dominant hand) and clinical joint assessment. One investigator read the MRIs for presence/severity of osteophytes, joint space narrowing, erosions, bone attrition, cysts, malalignment, synovitis, fl exor tenosynovitis, bone marrow lesions (BMLs) and ligament discontinuity according to the proposed Oslo hand OA MRI score. Pain and physical function were assessed by joint palpation (tenderness yes/no), self-reported questionnaires (Australian/ Canadian (AUSCAN) hand index, Functional Index of hand osteoarthritis (FIHOA), Arthritis Impact Measurement Scale-2 (AIMS-2) hand/fi nger) and grip strength. Logistic regression with generalised estimating equations was used to explore associations between the presence of MRI features and joint tenderness, and linear regression for associations between the burden of MRI abnormalities and patient-reported outcomes and grip strength (adjusted for age and sex). MRI features with p<0.25 were introduced into a multivariate model. The fi nal model included features with p≤0.10 (backward selection). Results MRI-defi ned moderate/severe synovitis (OR=2.4; p<0.001), BMLs (OR=1.5; p=0.06), erosions (OR=1.4; p=0.05), attrition (OR=2.5; p<0.001) and osteophytes (OR=1.4; p=0.10) were associated with joint tenderness independently of each other (fi nal model adjusted for age and sex). The sum score of MRI-defi ned attrition was associated with FIHOA (B=0.58; p=0.005), while the sum score of osteophytes was associated with grip strength (B=−0.39; p<0.001). No signifi cant associations were found with AUSCAN pain/physical function or AIMS-2 hand/fi nger subscales. Conclusion MRI-defi ned synovitis, BMLs, erosions and attrition were associated with joint tenderness. Synovitis and BMLs may be targets for therapeutic interventions in hand OA.

The proposed OHOA-MRI score could reliably assess HOA features. However, further validation is needed.

Background: Hydrodilatation of the glenohumeral joint is by several authors reported to improve shoulder pain and range of motion for patients with adhesive capsulitis. Procedures described often involve the injection of corticosteroids, to which the reported treatment effects may be attributed. Any important contribution arising from the hydrodilatation procedure itself remains to be demonstrated.

Both baseline and 1-year cumulative measures of MRI synovitis and bone marrow oedema independently predicted 3-year radiographic progression. These results confirm that MRI synovitis and MRI bone marrow oedema precede radiographic progression in patients with early RA.