Table 2 Ultrasound inflammatory activity in the dominant hand versus the non-dominant hand, in the hand with clinically more swollen joint versus less swollen joints, and in the right hand versus left hand using different composite scores for the early and established RA cohorts combined

 Dominant

7.75 (7.09 to 8.40)

4.81 (4.26 to 5.35)

8.07 (7.39 to 8.75)

− 3.11(− 3.65 to − 2.57)

− 2.57(− 3.10 to − 2.04)

− 3.40(− 3.98 to − 2.82)

 Non-dominant

7.06 (6.41 to 7.72)

4.22 (3.68 to 4.78)

7.28 (6.60 to 7.96)

− 3.12 (− 3.66 to − 2.58)

− 2.35(− 2.88 to − 1.82)

− 3.29(− 3.87 to − 2.71)

 Difference

− 0.69 (− 1.61 to 0.24)

− 0.58 (− 1.35 to 0.20)

− 0.79 (− 1.76 to 0.18)

− 0.005(− 0.76 to 0.75)

0.22(− 0.52 to 0.96)

0.11(− 0.70 to 0.92)

 P value

0.15

0.14

0.11

0.99

0.57

0.79

 Worst clinical (more SJC)

8.51 (7.87 to 9.16)

5.37 (4.83 to 5.91)

8.83 (8.16 to 9.50)

− 3.79 (− 4.32 to − 3.25)

− 3.05(− 3.57 to − 2.52)

− 4.06(− 4.63 to − 3.49)

 Least clinical (fewer SJC)

6.30 (5.65 to 6.94)

3.66 (3.13 to 4.20)

6.52 (5.85 to 7.19)

− 2.45(− 2.98 to − 1.92)

− 1.87(− 2.40 to − 1.35)

− 2.64(− 3.21 to − 2.06)

 Difference

− 2.21 (− 3.12 to − 1.30)

− 1.70 (− 2.47 to − 0.94)

− 2.31 (− 3.26 to − 1.36)

1.34 (0.60 to 2.08)

1.17 (0.44 to 1.91)

1.43 (0.63 to 2.22)

 P value

< .0001

< .0001

< .0001

0.0004

0.002

0.0005

 Right side

7.78 (7.12 to 8.44)

4.82 (4.28 to 5.37)

8.12 (7.44 to 8.80)

− 3.19(− 3.73 to − 2.65)

− 2.64(− 3.17 to − 2.11)

− 3.49(− 4.07 to − 2.91)

 Left side

7.03 (6.37 to 7.68)

4.21 (3.6 to 4.76)

7.23 (6.55 to 7.91)

− 3.05(− 3.59 to − 2.51)

− 2.28(− 2.81 to − 1.75)

− 3.21(− 3.78 to − 2.63)

 Difference

− 0.75 (− 1.68 to 0.18)

− 0.61 (− 1.38 to 0.16)

− 0.89 (− 1.85 to 0.08)

0.14(− 0.61 to 0.89)

0.36(− 0.38 to 1.10)

0.29(− 0.52 to 1.09)

 P value

0.11

0.12

0.07

0.71

0.34

0.49