RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Deciding on progression of joint damage in paired films of individual patients: smallest detectable difference or change
JF Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases
JO Ann Rheum Dis
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and European League Against Rheumatism
SP 179
OP 182
DO 10.1136/ard.2003.018457
VO 64
IS 2
A1 K Bruynesteyn
A1 M Boers
A1 P Kostense
A1 S van der Linden
A1 D van der Heijde
YR 2005
UL http://ard.bmj.com/content/64/2/179.abstract
AB Progression of radiological joint damage is usually based on the simultaneous assessment of a series of films from an individual patient (“paired”, with or without known sequence). In this setting the degree of progression that can be reliably detected above the measurement error is best determined by the smallest detectable change, and overestimated by the traditionally calculated smallest detectable difference. This knowledge is important for calculation of the proportion of patients showing radiographic progression in clinical trials.