The purpose of this study was to investigate altered finger-thumb coupling in individuals with chronic hemiparesis poststroke. First, an external device stretched finger flexor muscles by passively rotating the metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joints. Subjects then performed isometric finger or thumb force generation. Forces/torques and electromyographic signals were recorded for both the thumb and fi...

Objective. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the 7-joint ultrasound (US7) score by detailed joint region analysis of an arthritis patient cohort. Methods. The US7 score examines the clinically most affected wrist, MCP and PIP II, III, MTP II, and V joints for synovitis, tenosynovitis/paratenonitis, and erosions. Forty-five patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (84.4%) and spond...

Background Musculoskeletal ultrasound (US) is a rapidly evolving and powerful diagnostic modality, which is gaining popularity for the evaluation and management of joint damage and soft tissue diseases in children with JIA. Several studies have shown that clinical examination underestimates the presence of intra-articular fluid when compared to US. US guided aspiration allows direct observation...

Erosion development is of crucial significance as it impacts prognosis and therapy decisions in patients with inflammatory joint diseases. Our study aimed to determine the sensitivity high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) detect change bone surface over time identify erosion early arthritis (EIA) patients. Moreover, contribution prognostic factors on periarticula...

OBJECTIVE To assess ultrasonography's (US) performance to detect the structural damage in the initial evaluation of early arthritis (EA) using the Etude et Suivides Polyarthrites Indifférenciées Récentes (ESPOIR) cohort. METHODS ESPOIR is a French, multi-centric EA cohort. Four centres assessed the structural damage by both X-ray and US examination at baseline. X-rays of hands and feet were r...

OBJECTIVE Evaluation of the efficacy of green tea extract (GTE) in regulating chemokine production and chemokine receptor expression in human RA synovial fibroblasts and rat adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA). METHODS Fibroblasts isolated from human RA synovium were used in the study. Regulated upon activation normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES)/CCL5, monocyte chemoattractant protein ...

Simple, lumped-parameter musculoskeletal models may be more adaptable and practical for clinical real-time control applications, such as prosthesis control. In this study, we determined whether a lumped-parameter, EMG-driven musculoskeletal model with four muscles could predict wrist and metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint flexion/extension. Forearm EMG signals and joint kinematics were collected s...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate golimumab's effect on MRI-detected inflammation and structural damage in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) despite methotrexate (MTX). METHODS Patients (n=444) were randomly assigned to placebo plus MTX, golimumab 100 mg plus placebo, golimumab 50 mg plus MTX, or golimumab 100 mg plus MTX (subcutaneous injections every 4 weeks). A subset of 240 patients part...