Table 1.

Utility of various imaging modalities in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA).

RA features	Radiography	Grey scale ultrasound	Doppler (color/power)	Bone scan	CT	MRI
Early changes
Synovial thickening	−	++	+++	−	+	+++
Effusion	+	++	++	−	+	+++
Synovial vascularity	−	−	+++	−	−	+++
Bone marrow oedema	−	−	−	+	−	+++
Tenosynovitis	−	++	+++	−	−	+++
Joint space widening	+	−	−	−	+++	+
Late changes
Osteopenia	++	−	−	−	++	−
Erosions	+	++	+	+	+++	+++
Bony ankyloses	++	+	−	−	+++	+
Alignment deformity	+++	−	−	−	+++	+
Stress fractures	++	+	−	+++	++	+++

RA – Rheumatoid Arthritis; CT – Computed Tomography; MRI – Magnetic Resonance Imaging; ‘−’ – not useful; ‘+’ – limited utility; ‘++’ – definitely useful; ‘+++’ – modality of choice.