Objective. Acupuncture has been used by rehabilitation specialists as an adjunctive treatment for the symptomatic treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This meta-analysis aims to evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture in treating patients with RA. Methods. A comprehensive search was conducted in CBM, CNKI, PubMed, CENTRAL, Web of Science, and Embase from their inception up to March 2022. All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) without the language restriction, concerning the patients with RA treated with acupuncture, were included. Two reviewers independently assessed the risk of bias with the Cochrane Risk of Bias Assessment tool. Weight mean difference (MD) and 95% CI were calculated, and data were pooled with random effects model. Results. A total of eleven RCTs involving 796 patients with RA met the established inclusion criteria. This systematic review indicated the efficacy of acupuncture as an adjunctive treatment for patients with RA. Invasive acupuncture could reduce significantly in pain (MD = -1.00, 95% CI: −1.96 to −0.05, ), health assessment questionnaire (HAQ, MD = −0.20, 95% CI: −0.30 to −0.11, ), physician global assessment (PhGA, MD = −0.98, 95% CI: −1.23 to −0.72, ), tender joint count (TJC, MD = −1.24, 95% CI: −2.11 to −0.37, ), C-reactive protein (CRP, MD = −1.81, 95% CI: −3.32 to −0.29, ), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR, MD = −3.03, 95% CI: −5.80 to −0.26, ), while compared to control group. Laser acupuncture could reduce HAQ (MD = −0.15, 95% CI: −0.28 to −0.01, ), the RA quality of life questionnaire (RAQoL, MD = −2.32, 95% CI: −4.40 to −0.25, ), CRP (MD = −35.24, 95% CI: −36.49 to −33.99, ), and interleukin-6 (IL-6, MD = −29.63, 95% CI: −49.34 to −9.92, ), while compared to control group. No adverse events associated with acupuncture were reported. Conclusion. Available evidence suggests that acupuncture is beneficial for relieving pain and ameliorating quality of life and health index in patients with RA; thereby, it should be available as an adjunctive nonpharmacological treatment in rehabilitation programmes.

Background: This study aimed to test the reliability and validity of the Hip Inflammation MRI Scoring System (HIMRISS) in assessing hip involvement of AS patients with AS at different stages of the bath ankylosing spondylitis radiology index (BASRI-hip) scoring system. Methods: Fifty-two outpatients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) were included in this study. The subjects’ data includes demographics, clinical characteristics, disease activity score, and functional index. Based on the Harris hip scoring (HHS) of involved hip and BASRI-hip score, we devided these patients into no hip involvement group((HHS ≥ 80 and BASRI ≤ 1) (Group A), mild hip involvement subgroup (BASRI = 2 or BASRI ≤ 1 and HHS ≤ 79) (Group B), and moderate to advanced hip involvement subgroup (BASRI ≥ 3) (Group C). Data was analyzed statistically by SPSS software. Results: In total of 44 patients (88 hips), group A consisted of 21 hips, group B consisted of 42 hips and group C consisted of 25 hips. The test–retest intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) in four raters were 0.955 ~ 0.977 and interrater ICC was 0.993. HIMRISS correlated moderately with the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) (r = 0.540, p < 0.001), the Bath ankylosing spondylitis functional index (BASFI) (r = 0.540, p < 0.001), the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI) (r = 0.581, p < 0.001), ASDAS-ESR (r = 0.604, p < 0.001), and Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS)-C reactive protein (CRP) (r = 0.575, p < 0.001). HIMRISS in groups B and C was significantly higher than that in group A: 29.38 (17.00, 40.94) vs. 14.50 (11.38, 22.25), p = 0.009; 38 (31.13, 64.38) vs 14.50 (11.38, 22.25), p < 0.001. Conclusions: HIMRISS applied to patients with AS demonstrated a satisfactory reliability, meaning it is a reliable quantitive assessment tool for evaluating early hip involvement in patients with AS.

Hip involvement in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is associated with severe functional impairment, and early diagnosis can improve the disease prognosis. We investigated gluteal muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) and radiodensity at different stages of hip involvement and their associations with AS-related clinical and laboratory parameters. This cross-sectional study included 83 patients with AS and 83 age- and sex-matched controls. Patients with AS were divided into three groups according to the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Radiology Hip Index system. The CSA and radiodensity of the gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus muscles were measured using computed tomography images. Muscle parameters were compared, and their relationships with clinical and laboratory parameters were evaluated. For the gluteus maximus, patients with AS had a lower CSA than controls, regardless of the degree of hip involvement. For the gluteus medius and minimus, patients with moderate/advanced hip involvement had significantly lower CSA and radiodensity than those with mild to no hip involvement. The severity of hip involvement was negatively associated with muscle parameters. CSA of the gluteus maximus decreased in early-stage hip involvement without any changes in radiographs, while radiodensity decreased in the later stages. Muscle parameters on computed tomography may be a more sensitive indicator than radiographic findings.

Despite advances in medical treatment for ankylosing spondylitis (AS), total hip arthroplasty (THA) remains essential for managing advanced hip involvement