J Korean Rheum Assoc.  1994 Jul;1(2):183-191.

Clinical Usefulness Of Performance Scale In The Assessment Clinical Activity Of Rheumatoid Arthritis

• Hong SJ
• Lee SK

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
Inflammation has long been recongnized as notoriously difficult to measure both in clinical practice and in the laboratory methods. The methods used to clinical assess rheumatoid arthritis should share the following four parameters : validity, sensitivity, reliability and simplicity. Our purposes were evaluate mehtods of accurately reflecting disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis.
METHODS
We examed 32 cases(male : 4, famale:28 and mean age : 51 years) of rheumatoid arthritis. The clinical assessment included the following : (1) performance scales including grip strength, button test, and 7.5 M walking time. (2) activity of daily living(ADL) questionnaires. (3) articular indices including Ritchie, ARA and restricted joint index. (4) Laboratory assessment, Made on at the same time with the clinical assessment, included fellwing: erythrocyte sedimentation rate and CRP.
RESULTS
1. Performance scale scores were well correlated with articular indeces but ARA index showed the most frequent and strongest correlations with performance scale. 2. Performance scale score were well correlated with ADL score but ADL pain score showed the most frequent and the strongest correlation. 3. Performance scale score were more strongly correlated with CRP than with ESR.
CONCLUSION
The performance scale score appear to provide useful data for quantitatire assessment of inflammatory activity of joints in the routine care of RA.

Keyword

Rheumatoid arthritis; Performance scale; Articular index; ADL questionnaires; Acute phase reactant

MeSH Terms

Activities of Daily Living
Arthritis, Rheumatoid*
Blood Sedimentation
Hand Strength
Inflammation
Joints
Surveys and Questionnaires
Walking
Weights and Measures