Baseline MRI findings as predictors for development of radiographic erosions in the same joint
| Presence of MRI features | OR (95% CI) of radiographic erosive evolution (in joints with no radiographic erosions at baseline) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| n (%) | Crude associations | Adjusted associations* | |
| Synovitis | |||
| Grade 1 | 170/386 (44.0) | 1.66 (0.58 to 4.77); p=0.35 | 1.24 (0.35 to 4.45); p=0.74 |
| Grades 2 and 3† | 88/386 (22.9) | 5.48 (1.71 to 17.62); p=0.004 | 4.83 (1.35 to 17.24); p=0.02 |
| Flexor tenosynovitis | 66/378 (17.5) | 2.06 (1.04 to 4.11); p=0.04 | 1.92 (0.87 to 4.27); p=0.11 |
| Focal erosions | |||
| Grade 1 | 124/435 (28.5) | 1.35 (0.73 to 2.49); p=0.34 | 1.13 (0.53 to 2.40); p=0.75 |
| Grades 2 and 3‡ | 51/435 (11.7) | 3.45 (1.68 to 7.09); p=0.001 | 2.55 (1.11 to 5.83); p=0.03 |
| Subchondral bone attrition | 21/436 (4.8) | 4.18 (1.29 to 13.57); p=0.02 | 5.58 (1.46 to 21.36); p=0.01 |
| Cysts | 18/435 (4.1) | 3.03 (0.97 to 9.41); p=0.06 | 3.19 (0.88 to 11.60); p=0.08 |
| Osteophytes§ | |||
| Grade 2 | 52/437 (11.9) | 3.09 (1.53 to 6.23); p=0.002 | 4.11 (1.84 to 9.18); p=0.001 |
| Grade 3 | 21/437 (4.8) | 4.85 (2.04 to 11.54); p<0.001 | 4.78 (2.04 to 11.18); p<0.001 |
| Joint space narrowing¶ | |||
| Grades 2–3 | 115/437 (26.3) | 9.13 (4.08 to 20.39); p<0.001 | 7.78 (3.19 to 18.95); p<0.001 |
| Bone marrow lesions | 37/438 (8.4) | 4.93 (2.04 to 11.95); p<0.001 | 5.61 (2.05 to 15.38); p=0.001 |
| Malalignment | 12/438 (2.7) | 2.30 (0.54 to 9.86); p=0.26 | 10.18 (2.01 to 51.64); p=0.005 |
| Collateral ligament discontinuity | 209/437 (47.8) | 1.41 (0.73 to 2.74); p=0.30 | 1.43 (0.64 to 3.22); p=0.38 |
Generalised Estimating Equations with separate models for each MRI feature. Statistically significant associations are shown in italics.
*Adjusted for age, sex, BMI, follow-up time and other radiographic erosive joints at baseline.
†Few joints with synovitis grade 3 (n=8).
‡Few joints with focal erosions grade 3 (n=6).
§Osteophyte grade 0 (n=67) and grade 1 (n=297) as reference.
¶Joint space narrowing grade 0 (n=170) and grade 1 (n=152) as reference (erosive development occurred only in joints with joint space narrowing grades 1–3 at baseline).
BMI, Body Mass Index.