EVALUATION OF THE CARPUS-TO-DIGITS DISTAN CE FOR THE QUANTIFICATION OF RHEUMATOID ROENTGENOLOGICAL LESIONS - COMPARISON WITH LARSEN SCORES AND STAINBROCKER INDEX

The carpus-to-digits distance measured on a posteroanterior roentgenog ram of the hands and wrists takes into account 18 different joints. Th is study demonstrates that the carpus-to-digit distance is a simple, r eproducible score which reliably reflects progression of roentgenologi cal rheumatoid arthritis lesions and is correlated with Larsen's lesio n score and with Steinbrocker's index, but not with Larsen's erosion s core during the first two years after onset of the disease. Larsen's e rosion score and similar parameters should be preferred for clinical s tudies of recent-onset rheumatoid arthritis. The carpus-to-digit dista nce, which requires neither a reference film not observer training, is appropriate for long-term clinical studies.