Baseline variables
| | | | | | |
Age (years) | 74 | 44.1 (12.4) | 43.6 (11.5) | 39.2 (9.8) | 52.7 (15.1) | 0.01** |
Female | 74 | 65 (87.8) | 38 (90.5) | 16 (84.2) | 11 (84.6) | 0.73 |
Duration of hand symptoms (months) | 74 | 5.7 (3.7) | 6.0 (4.1) | 5.1 (3.0) | 5.5 (3.4) | 0.64 |
C reactive protein (mg/l) | 74 | 4.7 (0 to 55) | 4.3 (0 to 42) | 1.5 (0 to 14) | 10.5 (0 to 55) | 0.04** |
RF positive | 74 | 12 (16.2) | 1 (2.4) | 1 (5.3) | 10 (76.9) | <0.001¶** |
HAQ (0 to 3) | 73 | 0.55 (0 to 2.4) | 0.56 (0 to 2.4) | 0.47 (0 to 1.2) | 0.62 (0 to 1.9) | 0.73 |
Arthritis at baseline† | 74 | 37 (50.0) | 13 (31.0) | 14 (73.7) | 10 (76.9) | 0.001§¶ |
Swollen 56 joint count | 74 | 4.8 (0 to 28) | 3.7 (0 to 24) | 7.1 (0 to 28) | 4.9 (0 to 14) | 0.14 |
Tender 56 joint count | 73 | 14.3 (0 to 52) | 16.3 (0 to 52) | 12.7 (1 to 46) | 10.2 (0 to 25) | 0.24 |
| | | | | | |
Treatment given at baseline
| | | | | | |
Number of patients given | | | | | | |
IM steroid injection | 74 | 27 (36.5) | 17 (40.5) | 6 (31.6) | 4 (30.8) | 0.72 |
IA steroid injection in hands | 74 | 11 (14.9) | 1 (2.4) | 5 (26.3) | 5 (38.5) | 0.002§¶ |
IA steroid injection in other joints | 73 | 17 (23.3) | 5 (12.2) | 5 (26.3) | 7 (53.8) | 0.008¶ |
Clinical variables during follow up‡ | | | | | | |
Mean C reactive protein (mg/l) | 74 | 4.7 (0 to 102) | 3.0 (0 to 19) | 1.2 (0 to 5.8) | 15.5 (0 to 102) | 0.002** |
Mean HAQ (0 to 3) | 74 | 0.48 (0 to 2.0) | 0.46 (0 to 2.0) | 0.50 (0 to 1.1) | 0.52 (0 to 1.45) | 0.90 |
Mean swollen joint count (0 to 56) | 74 | 3.5 (0 to 16) | 2.5 (0 to 11) | 4.4 (0.8 to 16) | 5.3 (0 to 15.8) | 0.02¶ |
Mean tender joint count (0 to 56) | 73 | 10.6 (0 to 28) | 11.0 (0 to 28) | 9.7 (0.3 to 21.5) | 11.0 (1 to 21.5) | 0.81 |
| | | | | | |
Treatment variables during follow up‡ | | | | | | |
Number of patients with | | | | | | |
Antiresorptive osteoporosis treatment | 74 | 2 (2.7) | 1(2.4) | 1 (5.3) | 0 | 0.45 |
DMARD | 74 | 23 (31.1) | 2 (4.8) | 10 (52.6) | 11 (84.6) | <0.001§¶ |
Oral prednisolone use | 73 | 4 (5.5) | 1 (2.4) | 2 (10.5) | 1 (7.7) | 0.41 |
IM steroid injection | 74 | 30 (40.5) | 18 (42.9) | 6 (31.6) | 6 (46.2) | 0.64 |
IA steroid injection (hand joints) | 74 | 15 (20.3) | 4 (9.5) | 6 (31.6) | 5 (38.5) | 0.03§¶ |
IA injection (other joints) | 73 | 21 (28.8) | 6 (14.6) | 7 (36.8) | 8 (61.5) | 0.003¶ |
Mean methylprednisolone dose (mg) | | | | | | |
Intramuscular | 30 | 151.7 (69.6) | 128.9 (51.0) | 173.3 (65.3) | 198.3 (99.7) | 0.07 |
IA (hand joints) | 15 | 46.7 (0 to 160) | 36.3 (0 to 80) | 29.2 (10 to 60) | 76.0 (0 to 160) | 0.22 |
IA (other joints) | 15 | 43.8 (26.9) | 41.0 (30.1) | 40.6 (31.6) | 48.3 (25.6) | 0.89 |
Total | 52 | 125.1 (0 to 560) | 102.7 (0 to 240) | 124.1 (2.5 to 280) | 175.0 (0 to 560) | 0.09 |