Author Spotlight: Enhancing Rheumatoid Arthritis Research Through HR-pQCT Imaging Analysis

One of our goals as part of the study group for extreme computed tomography in RA or spectra, is to develop better image analysis tools to understand bone damage in rheumatoid arthritis. Applying high resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography, or HRPQCT for short, to rheumatoid arthritis, researchers have shown that this modality is far more sensitive than standard X-rays to detect bone erosions and have detected bone changes in response to treatment in as little as three months. One of the major challenges is accurately identifying bone erosions in HRPQCT images.

Most researchers rely on expert rheumatologists with extensive training. The analysis, while powerful, is also very time consuming. Our group has developed a new open source software module that can be used to analyze bone erosions in HRPQCT images of rheumatoid arthritis patients.

We have shown that the results are comparable to previously established methods. Implementation of this module will allow us to more efficiently investigate the effects of altered treatments and subclinical inflammation on bone damage progression in rheumatoid arthritis.