Table 1 Potential uses for magnetic resonance imaging in rheumatoid arthritis (RA)

Accurate diagnosis and classification of patients with RA at presentation

Early assessment of bony erosions to define patients who already have articular structural damage

Quantification of synovial inflammation at the primary site, potentially allowing prediction of further erosions and disease progression

Simultaneous assessment of synovitis and joint erosion pathologies, allowing for dissection of the relative importance of these two pathologies in RA disease progression

Long-term evaluation of treatment outcome in clinical trials and real-world settings