Age-, Joint-Specific Ultrasound Reference Values Set for Healthy Joints

TUESDAY, Oct. 6, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Age- and joint-specific reference values for ultrasound have been established for metacarpophalangeal, proximal interphalangeal, wrist, and metatarsophalangeal joints of healthy adults, according to a study published in the October issue of The Lancet Rheumatology.

Ilfita Sahbudin, Ph.D., from the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom, and colleagues conducted a multicenter, cross-sectional, observational study involving healthy adults from 20 centers across 13 countries to define the age-related ultrasound thresholds in small joints by grading ultrasound abnormalities. Individuals aged 18 to 80 years from a range of backgrounds were included and categorized according to age: 18 to 39 years (young), 40 to 59 years (middle), and 60 to 80 years (older).

The final analysis included 802 participants: 44, 38, and 19 percent were in the young, middle, and older age groups, respectively. The researchers found that 13 percent of 28,375 joints scanned had at least one ultrasound finding higher than grade 0. The highest proportion of ultrasound findings higher than grade 0 was in metatarsophalangeal 1 and metatarsophalangeal 2 (45 and 39 percent, respectively). In all age ranges, there was minimal Doppler signal activity in the metacarpophalangeal, proximal interphalangeal, wrist, and metatarsophalangeal joints and minimal synovial hypertrophy in proximal interphalangeal 2 to 5, metacarpophalangeal 5, and metatarsophalangeal 5, indicating that any presence of a Doppler signal should be considered abnormal regardless of age. There was a difference in synovial effusion findings mainly by joint type, not by age.

“By establishing clear thresholds for normal and abnormal findings, we can give clinicians greater confidence when assessing patients with suspected inflammatory arthritis and help ensure that people who need treatment are identified as early as possible,” coauthor Andrew Filer, Ph.D., also from the University of Birmingham, said in a statement.

Several authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.

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