About
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allows objective assessment of both inflammation (disease activity) and damage in arthritic diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and osteoarthritis (OA). MRI provides important insights into how these diseases progress and very importantly for OMERACT it provides objective measures of response to treatments, as clinical examination findings of tender and swollen joints can be quite unreliable.
MRI is therefore now frequently used as an outcome measure across rheumatology clinical trials. The OMERACT MRI in Arthritis Working Group has been instrumental in this. The group has developed and validated the OMERACT rheumatoid arthritis MRI score (RAMRIS), evaluating the key features of activity and damage in the joints; this method is now the standard used in RA trials using MRI. Furthermore, the group has developed and validated a psoriatic arthritis (PsA) MRI scoring method (PsAMRIS), a hand osteoarthritis (OA) MRI scoring system (HOAMRIS), including a dedicated system for the thumb base (TOMS), a whole-body MRI scoring system allowing assessment of all peripheral joints and entheses (WBMRI WIPE), an enthesitis scoring system (HEMRIS) and a digital overlay-based scoring system of MRI lesions in OA of the hips and knees (HIMRISS and KIMRISS).
Since OMERACT in 2018, the group has continued its work within MRI of enthesitis and whole-body MRI MRI in spondyloarthritis and psoriatic arthritis and within osteoarthritis of the hand, hip and knee. Data from these activities were presented at OMERACT in Colorado Springs, USA, in May 2023.
Current Stage in the OMERACT Process
Continuing its leadership in imaging outcomes, this group is validating MRI scoring systems across diseases such as RA, PsA, and OA. New reliability studies and methods papers are underway.
Latest Update
OMERACT 2025 Conference Highlights
Fellow Poster: Our OMERACT Fellow, Simone Tromborg Willesen, presented a poster summarizing the current state of our work, sparking excellent conversations about next steps and collaborations.
👉 View the poster here
Lightning Talk: In a rapid-fire session, our team shared an upcoming teaser of the Special Interest Group (SIG) session taking place during the conference.
👉 Watch the lightning talk here
Closing Plenary Talk: We were also featured in the Closing Plenary, where we highlighted the activities of the (SIG).
👉 Watch the presentation here
Next Meeting
TBD
Recent Publications
- Jaremko, Jacob et al. "Volumetric quantitative measurement of hip effusions by manual versus automated artificial intelligence techniques: An OMERACT preliminary validation study." Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism, vol. 51, no. 3, 2021, pp 623-626. doi:10.1016/j.semarthrit.2021.03.009
- Maksymowych, Walter et al. "The OMERACT Knee Inflammation MRI Scoring System: Validation of quantitative methodologies and tri-compartmental overlays in osteoarthritis." Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism, vol. 51, no. 4, 2021, pp 925-928. doi:10.1016/j.semarthrit.2021.05.014
- Maugesten, S.J. et al. "Reliability and agreement of proton density-weighted vs. gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted MRI in hand osteoarthritis. An OMERACT MRI special interest group reliability exercise." Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism, vol. 51, no. 4, 2021, pp 929-932. doi:10.1016/j.semarthrit.2021.05.007
- Wetterslev, Marie et al. "Joint and entheseal inflammation in the knee region in spondyloarthritis – reliability and responsiveness of two OMERACT whole-body MRI scores." Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism, vol. 51, no. 4, 2021, pp 933-939. doi:10.1016/j.semarthrit.2021.05.013
- Wetterslev, Marie et al. "Arthritis and enthesitis in the hip and pelvis region in spondyloarthritis - OMERACT validation of two whole-body MRI methods." Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism, vol. 51, no. 4, 2021, pp 940-945. doi:10.1016/j.semarthrit.2021.05.006
- Felfeliyan, B. et al. "OMERACT validation of a deep learning algorithm for automated absolute quantification of knee joint effusion versus manual semi-quantitative assessment." Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism, vol. 66, 152420, 2024. doi:10.1016/j.semarthrit.2024.152420
- Østergaard, M. et al. "Hip and pelvis region MRI reference image atlas for scoring inflammation in peripheral joints and entheses according to the OMERACT-MRI WIPE scoring system in patients with spondyloarthritis." Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism, vol. 65, 152383, 2024. doi:10.1016/j.semarthrit.2024.152383
- Østergaard, M. et al. "The OMERACT whole-body MRI scoring system for inflammation in peripheral joints and entheses (WIPE) in spondyloarthritis - reference image atlas for the knee region." Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism, vol. 65, 152384, 2024. doi:10.1016/j.semarthrit.2024.152384