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Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory condition of the synovial membrane - the thin layer of connective tissue that lines the joints. If left untreated, chronic inflammation of the joints can lead to joint damage, deformity, and loss of function. The primary symptoms of RA include painful, swollen joints usually accompanied by morning stiffness lasting for 1 hour or longer. For reasons that are not well-understood, some patients with RA experience only a mild form of the disease with alternating periods of active disease and periods of remission while other patients develop a rapidly progressive form of the disease that results in extensive joint damage and physical disability.

Although rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can affect almost any area of the body, areas of common involvement include the wrists, ankles, knees, elbows, and shoulders. Most patients with rheumatoid arthritis have bilateral joint involvement, meaning that the disease affects corresponding joints on both sides of the body. The specific joints most often affected by RA include:

• Proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints - the finger joints
• Metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joints - the "knuckle" joints
• Metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joints - the toe joints

Because damage to the joints occurs early in the disease process, early diagnosis and treatment with a class of drugs known as disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) is crucial for halting further progression of the disease and preventing physical disability.