Sarar cohort: disease activity, functional capacity, and radiological damage in rheumatoid arthritis patients undergoing total hip and knee arthroplasty

Abstract Objectives The Sarar cohort consists of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and juvenile idiopathic arthritis who underwent hip or knee arthroplasties at hospital SARAH-Brasilia. The objective of this study was to evaluate clinical and laboratory factors associated with disease activity, functional capacity and radiological damage in rheumatoid arthritis patients, participants in this cohort. Methods Cross-sectional study, with data collection achieved from medical records review. Results Thirty-two patients were included, with a mean time of disease onset of 240 months. Nineteen patients underwent total knee and 17 total hip arthroplasty. There was a positive correlation between maximum dose of methotrexate and Clinical Disease Activity Index ( R  = −0.46, p  = 0.011), and a negative one with Simplified Erosion and Narrowing Score ( R  = −0.58, p  = 0.004). Simplified Erosion and Narrowing Score values were higher in patients with rheumatoid factor ( p  = 0.005) and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody 3 positivity ( p  = 0.044), in those with higher rheumatoid factor ( p  = 0.037) and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody 3 ( p  = 0.025) titers, and lower in patients with family history of rheumatoid factor ( p  = 0.009). Health Assessment Questionnaire values were higher in older patients ( p  = 0.031). In multiple linear regression, only “maximum dose of methotrexate” and “family history” remained with significant association with Simplified Erosion and Narrowing Score ( r 2  = 0.73, p r 2  = 0.35, p  = 0.016). Conclusion In the Sarar cohort, clinical and laboratory factors were related to disease activity, functional capacity and radiological damage, similar to studies evaluating patients with lower disease duration.