The nurse practitioner orders bilateral wrist X-rays on a 69-year-old gentleman complaining of pain in both wrists for the past 6 weeks not related to any known trauma.The nurse practitioner suspects elderly onset rheumatoid arthritis.The initial radiographic finding in a patient with elderly onset rheumatoid arthritis would be:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Soft tissue swelling is often one of the earliest radiographic findings in rheumatoid arthritis, including elderly onset, before joint space narrowing, subluxations, or erosions become apparent.

The Nurse Practitioner Orders Bilateral Wrist X-Rays on a 69-Year-Old