Radiographic scoring in rheumatoid arthritis: a short introduction to the methods.

Several methods have been introduced for the scoring of plain radiographs in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The first methods characterized global damage in hands and wrists in a qualitative rather than quantitative approach. The Sharp and the Larsen scoring methods were introduced in the 1970s. Modifications of these methods over time have resulted in contemporary scoring systems that are described herein.