MRI of the wrist in early rheumatoid arthritis.

T he past several years have witnessed unprecedented advances in rheumatology, with the introduction of several new compounds capable of halting the relentless progression of joint destruction and functional disability in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). With these successes, however, have come new pressures for medical imaging to resolve even the slightest traces of erosive joint damage and to identify pre-erosive inflammatory features that can accurately predict which patients will go on to severe functional debility if they do not receive aggressive structure modifying treatment immediately.