Heidi J. Siddle1, Richard J. Hodgson2,
Anthony C. Redmond1,2, Andrew J. Grainger2,3, Richard
J. Wakefield1,2, David A. Pickles4, Philip S. Helliwell1
1Section of Musculoskeletal
Disease, University of Leeds, Leeds, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom; 2Leeds
Musculoskeletal Biomedical Research Unit, Leeds, United Kingdom; 3Department
of Radiology, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, United Kingdom; 4Department
of Rheumatology, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, United Kingdom
This study aims to characterise the structural changes in the plantar plates of the lesser (2nd to 5th) MTP joints in 24 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) using 3T MRI. PD FS, T2 FS and T1 post gadolinium sequences were acquired through 96 lesser MTP joints. Images were scored using the RAMRIS and plantar plates were assessed for pathology. Plantar plate pathology was most frequently demonstrated at the 5th MTP joint. A statistically significant relationship was demonstrated between plantar plate pathology and both bone oedema erosion at the lesser MTP joints. There was no significant relationship between synovitis and plantar plate pathology.