Evaluation of Functional Disability in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

Functional Disability in Rheumatoid Arthritis and Its Relation to Disease Activity and Radiographic Damage

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, systemic, autoimmune inflammatory disease that mainly affects the joints and periarticular soft tissues. Accurate monitoring of disease activity is a cornerstone of the treat-to-target approach in Rheumatoid arthritis.

Inclusion Criteria:

• • Patients fulfill the 2010 ACR/EULAR classification criteria of Rheumatoid arthritis is based on the confirmed presence of synovitis in at least one joint, absence of an alternative diagnosis better explaining the synovitis, and achievement of a total score of 6 or greater (of a possible 10) from the individual scores in four domains :

  1. number and site of involved joints (range 0-5)

  2. serological abnormality (range 0-3)

  3. elevated acute-phase response (range 0-1)

  4. symptom duration (two levels; range 0-1).

     • Age above 18 years old.
     • Patient cooperative and can answer questions

Exclusion Criteria:

• • Other rheumatologic or collagen diseases.

  • Age below 18 years and above 65 years.
  • Uncooperative patients.