Arthrosonography of hip and knee joints in the follow up of XXXX .

@entity1 @entity309 @entity625
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate sensitivity of arthrosonography of hip and knee joints for monitoring disease activity in @entity309 ( @entity309 ). METHODS: Twenty eight @entity1 with @entity309 with active disease at entry in 15 hips and 38 knee joints were followed up three times in intervals of 4-6 weeks. Sonographic, clinical, and laboratory findings were documented at the same time in clinically active and inactive disease. As controls of the sonographic variables 10 @entity1 without a history of @entity625 were examined by ultrasound. RESULTS: In active @entity625 joint 19/31 (61%) examinations showed a pathological widening of the synovial joint space. There was no significant correlation between sonographic and clinical measures of disease activity in coxitis. Marked effusion within the suprapatellar pouch was seen in 87% and thickening of the synovial membrane in 92% of cases of active gonarthritis in @entity1 with @entity309 . There was a significant difference in the number of @entity1 with joint effusion and in the mean joint effusion between @entity1 with clinically active gonarthritis at entry and inactive @entity625 at follow up (p<0.001). In contrast, synovial thickening persisted in about 80% after induction of clinical remission. CONCLUSION: The data confirm the high sensitivity of arthrosonography in imaging changes in hip and knee joints of @entity1 with @entity309 . Sonographic effusion of the knee provided the highest correlation with measures of clinical disease activity. Further prospective studies should evaluate whether persistent thickening of the synovial membrane detected by ultrasound in clinically inactive @entity625 indicates residual inflammatory activity and an increased risk of relapse.
