In a study comparing clinical and ultrasound (US) findings in a cohort of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and the presence of pain at the ankle level, spontaneous pain was found in >50% of the patients and US found joint involvement more prevalent than tendon pathology. The cross-sectional study assessed patients diagnosed with RA according to the 2010 ACR criteria, who were recruited consecutively and independently of disease status or treatment and of the presence of pain at ankle level. US assessment were performed according to the EULAR and OMERACT indications. Among the details:

• 224 ankles of 112 RA patients were examined; 89.3% women and 10.7% men, mean age 51 years.
• RA mean disease duration was 72 months.
• Ankle spontaneous pain was found in 56.2% of patients in the cohort.
• In 65.2% of patients, US found ≥1 pathologic sign indicative of joint and/or tendon pathology.
• Using grayscale US, joint involvement was more frequently found than tendon pathology.
• There was a significant correlation between clinical findings and US findings indicative of tibiotalar joint synovitis and peroneal tenosynovitis.