ARC04: Imaging of Arthritis
Activity Overview
The Advanced Rheumatology Course is a 19-activity series for advanced practice providers and other professionals who need a deeper dive into rheumatology. The series covers how to assess and manage patients with rheumatic disease, develop strategies to integrate NP/PAs into rheumatology practice, and improve access to care for patients. The advanced information will help experienced practice providers function well in rheumatology and foster inter-professional collaboration.
In this activity, learn about different imaging modalities to aid in diagnosing rheumatic disease and making informed decisions regarding the most suitable treatments for patients.
Advanced Rheumatology Course Series
This activity is part of a series. See the other activities in the series below.
- Advanced Rheumatology Course: All Activities
- ARC01: Musculoskeletal Structure And Function And Inflammation And Immunity
- ARC02: Framework for Clinical Decision Making in Rheumatology
- ARC03: Laboratory Evaluation of Rheumatic Disease
- ARC04: Imaging of Arthritis
- ARC05: Coding and Practice Issues
- ARC06: Therapeutic Interventions And Resources
- ARC07: Osteoarthritis
- ARC08: RA and Seronegative Inflammatory Arthropathies
- ARC09: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
- ARC010: Systemic Inflammatory Conditions: Inflammatory Myopathy
- ARC11: Vasculitis, Arteritis and PMR
- ARC12: Crystal-Induced Arthropathies
- ARC13: Pain Syndromes
- ARC14: Spondyloarthritis
- ARC15: Infection-Related Arthritis
- ARC16: Osteoporosis And Other Metabolic Bone Disorders
- ARC17: Comprehensive Overview of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA)
- ARC18:Comprehensive Overview of Pediatric Connective Tissue Diseases (CTD)
- ARC19: Pediatric Noninflammatory Musculoskeletal Pain
Registration is discounted for ACR/ARP members. If you are not a member, consider joining ACR/ARP.
Target Audience
Advanced practice nurses and physician assistants. Fellows in training, residents, students, primary care providers, physical therapists, and researchers may also benefit.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to:
- List the indications for radiographic imaging studies when evaluating persons with rheumatic disease
- Select the appropriate radiographic imaging study to evaluate various forms of arthritis
- Recognize the imaging appearance of rheumatoid arthritis
- Describe the imaging appearance of axial spondyloarthritis
- Distinguish the imaging appearance of osteoarthritis and its erosive variant
- Appraise the imaging appearance of common crystalline diseases: gout and CPPD arthropathy
CE & MOC Information
ACCME Accreditation Statement
The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
The American College of Rheumatology designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
See the ACR's CME Mission Statement. For more information, download the AMA PRA Booklet.
CME credit must be claimed by August 14, 2026, at 11:59 PM ET.
Financial Relationship Disclosures
ACR Disclosure Statement
It is the policy of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) to ensure that Continuing Medical Education (CME) activities are independent and free of commercial bias. To ensure educational content is objective, balanced, and guarantee content presented is in the best interest of its learners' and the public, the ACR requires that everyone in a position to control educational content disclose all financial relationships with ineligible companies within the prior 24 months. An ineligible company is one whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients. Examples can be found at accme.org.
In accordance with the ACCME Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education, ACR has implemented mechanisms prior to the planning and implementation of this CME activity to identify and mitigate all relevant financial relationships for all individuals in a position to control the content of this CME activity.
Nature of Financial Relationships
All individuals that participate in an ACR-sponsored activity and are able to change content or influence the content of the activity must disclose to the planning committee and audience all financial or other relationships with ineligible companies including, but not limited to:
- Advisor or review panel member
- Consultant
- Employee
- Officer or Board Member
- Grant/research support
- Speaker/honoraria includes speaker’s bureau, symposia, and expert witness
- Independent contractor
- Executive role and/or ownership interest
- Royalties and/or patent beneficiary
- Intellectual property/patents
- Stock options or bond holdings in a for-profit corporation or self-directed pension plan
- Private investigator
- Expert witness
- Equity interest
- Other: specify details
None: Has no relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.
All participants that created and/or were able to influence the content and delivery of this activity reported the following disclosures. All of the relevant financial relationships listed have been mitigated.
Author
- Beth Jonas, MD – No relevant financial relationships to disclose
Editors and Reviewers
- Laurie Hughell, MPH, PA-C - No relevant financial relationships to disclose
- Anneke Smith – No relevant financial relationships to disclose
- Ben Smith, DMSc, PA-C, DFAAPA – No relevant financial relationships to disclose
Acknowledgement of Commercial Support
The project was supported by Grant number 1 NU58DP006908-03-00 – Component A; Developing and Disseminating Programs to Build Sustainable Lupus Awareness, Knowledge, Skills and Partnerships. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Educational Activity Policies
See ACR educational activity policies, including the online enduring activity refund policy.