Mapping the bare area and transcortical pores in finger joints: co-location with bone erosions in rheumatoid arthritis.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Transcortical pores and the bare area have been suggested as structural determinants of bone erosions in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We aimed to map the spatial distribution of transcortical pores and bare areas in whole finger joints of postmortem subjects and to determine the anatomical relationship between erosions in patients with RA and the bare areas.

Methods

This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study including the second and/or third fingers from deceased individuals (n=8), obtained postmortem, for mapping the number, size and spatial distribution of transcortical pores in four quadrants using micro-CT (n=33 joints). The extent of the bare area at the erosion-prone radial and ulnar quadrants (n=12 joints) was mapped histologically and pores assessed intra-

SUBMITTER: Therkildsen J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12829352 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature