Aiming for Remission in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) - the ARCTIC Trial

The ultimate goal of treatment in early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is remission, i.e. an absence of signs and symptoms of the disease. However, the optimal way of reaching this goal is not known. Ultrasonography (US) is an imaging modality which application is rapidly growing. It has a number of advantages over other advanced imaging techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), including low cost, good accessibility, and ability to scan many joints in a short period of time. However, the additional benefit of using this modality in terms of patient outcomes has not been demonstrated. Thus, clarification is needed if the use of US leads to better care for RA patients. This study will assess if the use of a treatment strategy incorporating information from ultrasonography assessment will allow for better outcomes of patients with RA, than a strategy based on clinical and laboratory assessments alone.