Imaging a reliable tool for gauging arthritis

Arthritis News

Imaging a reliable tool for gauging arthritis

An innovative imaging technology could allow arthritis specialists to better measure the severity of joint inflammation, which could lead to improvements in diagnosis and treatment.

With collaborators from Carnegie Mellon University's Medical Robotics Institute and the University of Pittsburgh, they We came up with some cameras that are actually pretty good at doing this.

Swelling, heat, redness and pain characterize the inflammatory process. One kind of camera captures 3-D images so the volume of the joint can be measured. A thermal camera reveals temperature variations.

Combining that information, they derived an index of what the disease is like in that joint, Rheumatologists rely on physical examination of joints to see whether there is a problem.

With the participation of between 30 and 40 children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and adults with rheumatoid arthritis, the researchers will see how the technology compares to standard physical assessment.

Once can also be able do it quicker because the cameras are more sensitive than the doctor is, and will be able to do it more reliably.


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