Imaging of Rheumatic Diseases Affecting the Lower Limb

The successful use of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, which interrupt the inflammatory cascade, provided strong motivation for identification of biomarkers of inflammation, subclinical disease, and earliest objective findings of active disease. In this context, imaging methods capable of detecting inflammation, such as MR imaging and ultrasound (US), are of paramount importance in rheumatic disease management, not only for diagnostic purposes but also for monitoring disease activity and treatment response. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of imaging of some of the most prevalent inflammatory rheumatic diseases affecting the lower limb (osteoarthritis [OA], rheumatoid arthritis [RA], and gout) and up-to-date recommendations regarding imaging diagnostic workup.