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Current Treatment Outcomes Among Patients with Rheumatoid Hand and Wrist Deformities

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Clinical Management of the Rheumatoid Hand, Wrist, and Elbow

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Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) remains one of the most common inflammatory arthropathies and results in substantial disability owing to progressive destruction of both large and small joints. Despite intense interest in developing new treatment options, there is no cure for rheumatoid arthritis, and both medical and surgical strategies are directed instead toward curbing immune-mediated synovitis and alleviating joint pain and deformity. Disease-modifying antirheumatic agents have dramatically improved the prognosis of RA, but surgical intervention remains important, and a comprehensive algorithm that integrates both medical and surgical treatment has not yet been defined. This review will focus on current evidence drawn from clinical outcomes, research studies regarding treatment effectiveness, and remaining controversies in the management of RA.

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Acknowledgment

This research was supported by a Mentored Clinical Investigator Award to Dr. Waljee through the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (1K08HS023313-01) and a Clinical Arthritis Research Grant from the American Foundation for Surgery of the Hand.

Financial disclosures and conflicts of interest: The author has nothing to disclose.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Comprehensive Hand Center, Section of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, The University of Michigan Health System, 1500 E. Medical Center Drive, 2130 Taubman Center, SPC 5340, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-5340, USA

    Jennifer F. Waljee MD, MS

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  1. Jennifer F. Waljee MD, MS
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Correspondence to Jennifer F. Waljee MD, MS .

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  1. Comp Hand Cen. Sec of PS, Dept of Surg, The University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

    Kevin C. Chung

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Waljee, J.F. (2016). Current Treatment Outcomes Among Patients with Rheumatoid Hand and Wrist Deformities. In: Chung, K. (eds) Clinical Management of the Rheumatoid Hand, Wrist, and Elbow. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-26660-2_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-26660-2_6

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