Key clinical point: Ultrasound assessment of individuals with painful ankles revealed that abnormalities of the flexor retinacula (FR) were more common in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) vs rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Major finding: The FR were thicker in patients with PsA vs patients with RA and control individuals (0.96 vs 0.64 and 0.56, respectively; both P < .001), with abnormalities, such as retinaculitis (39.0% vs 2.7%), hypoechogenicity (46.0% vs 6.8%), power Doppler positivity (43.0% vs 8.1%), and periostosis (43.0% vs 8.1%), being significantly more prevalent in patients with PsA vs RA (all P < .001).
Study details: Findings are from a cross-sectional observational study including patients with PsA (n = 23) and RA (n = 37) who reported painful ankles and control individuals (n = 20) without rheumatic disease or ankle pain.
Disclosures: This study did not receive any funding. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
Source: Forien M et al. Ankle retinacula abnormalities as features of psoriatic arthritis: An ultrasound study. Joint Bone Spine. 2023 (Oct 4). doi: 10.1016/j.jbspin.2023.105649