Imaging and staging of haemophilic arthropathy

Abstract

Arthropathy is one of the most disabling consequences of haemophilia. The management of this condition has been revolutionized by the introduction of prophylactic treatment with clotting factor replacements. In order for benefits of this treatment to be monitored, the severity of any joint disease needs to be accurately assessed. Diagnostic imaging is used to objectively evaluate haemophilic arthropathy (HA). There are several established scoring systems for grading HA based on conventional radiography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In this review the role of the different imaging methods in the evaluation of HA are discussed, the established staging systems are presented, and an explanation of why MRI is becoming the primary method of joint imaging in HA is provided.