Relationship between radiologic and clinical findings in rheumatoid arthritis.

A series of 188 patients with rheumatoid arthritis was followed up for 3 to 12 years. An association was found between radiologic progression and limitation of motion for all the joints. Remission of the inflammation occurred more often in the small joints. Early radiologic involvement was most frequent in the upper limb joints and metatarso-phalangeal joints. Clinically, no significant differences existed between upper and lower limbs in the early stages. The single metatarso-phalangeal, metacarpo-phalangeal and proximal interphalangeal joints of the fingers were not more often involved, radiologically or clinically, than many other joints. Four different types of relationship between radiologic progression, on one hand, and articular swelling and tenderness, on the other, were observed.