Three-dimensional ultrasound reliability of synovial blood flow assessment in thumb osteoarthritis patients

Thumb osteoarthritis is a prevalent degenerative joint disease. Inflammation is a key factor and contributes to vascular changes in the joint. The vascular changes and reorganization in the joint lining are not fully understood. Three-dimensional ultrasound imaging provides a method of visualizing soft tissue structures of the joint affected by inflammation and can detect blood flow with Doppler technologies. The three-dimensional ultrasound imaging system provides volumetric analysis of the joint, including measures of joint blood flow. This work investigated the test-retest reliability of the three-dimensional ultrasound Doppler blood flow measure in thumb osteoarthritis patients. The development of these volumetric ultrasound imaging tools and measures for musculoskeletal imaging can further the understanding of inflammation and blood flow changes in the disease.