Measuring the impact of steroid therapy on health-related quality of life in patients with rheumatic diseases: international development of a glucocorticoid treatment-specific patient-reported outcome measure.

Objectives: Glucocorticoids (GCs) ('steroids') are used to treat rheumatic diseases but adverse effects are common. We aimed to explore the impact of GC therapy on health-related quality of life (HRQoL), to inform the development of a treatment-specific patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) for use in clinical trials and practice.

Methods: Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with patients from the UK, USA and Australia, treated for a rheumatic condition with GCs in the last 2 years.

Factors Associated With Increasing Length of Stay for Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Undergoing Total Hip Arthroplasty and Total Knee Arthroplasty.

Total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) are cost-effective procedures that decrease pain and improve health-related quality of life for patients with advanced symptomatic arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Patients with RA have a longer length of stay (LOS) after THA or TKA than patients with osteoarthritis, yet the factors contributing to LOS have not been investigated. : We sought to identify the factors contributing to LOS for patients with RA undergoing THA and TKA at a single tertiary care orthopedic specialty hospital.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Synovial Inflammation Quantification Using Computer Vision.

Objective: We quantified inflammatory burden in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) synovial tissue by using computer vision to automate the process of counting individual nuclei in hematoxylin and eosin images.

Methods: We adapted and applied computer vision algorithms to quantify nuclei density (count of nuclei per unit area of tissue) on synovial tissue from arthroplasty samples. A pathologist validated algorithm results by labeling nuclei in synovial images that were mislabeled or missed by the algorithm.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Flares After Total Hip and Total Knee Arthroplasty: Outcomes at One Year.

Objective: Most patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) have active RA and report postoperative flares; whether RA disease activity or flares increase the risk of worse pain and function scores 1 year later is unknown.

Methods: Patients with RA were enrolled before THA/TKA. Patient-reported outcomes, including the Hip disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (HOOS)/Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) and physician assessments of disease characteristics and activity (Disease Activity Score in 28 joints [DAS28] and Clinical Disease Activity Index), were collected before surgery.