Table 1 Clinical characteristics (mean (SD)), laboratory findings (mean (SD)), drugs and x ray status of the patients.
| Age (years) | 55 (15) |
| Females:males | 28:16 |
| Disease duration (years) | 8.4 (11) |
| Seropositive:seronegative | 16:28 |
| Disease | |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 14 |
| Monarthritis | 11 |
| Oligoarthritis | 9 |
| Psoriatic arthritis | 3 |
| Juvenile arthritis | 3 |
| Undifferentiated spondyloarthropathy | 2 |
| Polymyalgia rheumatica | 2 |
| VAS of the site, pain (0–100 mm) | 40 (20) |
| Duration of pain at the site (years) | 2.6 (3.6) |
| Swollen joint count | 2 (2.2) |
| ESR (mm/h) | 18 (20) |
| CRP (mg/l) | 13 (36) |
| B haemoglobin (g/l) | 138 (13) |
| Drugs | |
| No | 24 |
| 1 DMARD | 9 |
| 2 DMARDs (combination) | 4 |
| 3–4 DMARDs (combination) | 7 |
| x Ray status of the sites, Larsen scores | |
| L 0 | 19 |
| L 1 | 17 |
| L 2 | 2 |
| L 3 | 5 |
| L 4 | 1 |
| L 5 | 0 |
CRP, C reactive protein; DMARD, disease‐modifying antirheumatic drug; ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate; VAS, Visual Analogue Scale.