Methods and materials
We retrospectively collected data from 20 patients who had local institution MR imaging (axial and coronal T1, T2 fat saturated and post-contrast T1 fat saturated sequences) to assess for synovitis. Dynamic contrast enhanced MRA images were acquired at the same time using the Time Resolved Imaging of Contrast KineticS (TRICKS) sequence. All the imaging was performed on the GE 3T Discovery 750.
Image representation of peak signal intensity, which corresponds to the maximum contrast enhancement, was then fused in colour with the initial T1-weighted sequence and reconstructed in 3 anatomical planes. The PEAK enhancement map was also fused onto a rotating 3D volumetric reconstruction.
3 consultant musculoskeletal radiologists (with at least 3 years’ experience each) reviewed each study for bone marrow oedema, erosions and synovitis as per the modified OMERACT RAMRIS scoring method. Scoring was performed on separate occasions on the anonymised standard and fusion images in the absence of a previous report or clinical findings.
 
Results
The patients tolerated the study well and the images were of diagnostic quality. The interpreting radiologists reported a high level of confidence in reading the MRA sequences following a brief period of training.
We compared the OMERACT scores obtained from the standard images with those obtained from the TRICKS MRA fusion images, and assessed for intra-observer and inter-observer variability. 
Discussion