a widely used articular measurement for the assessment of joint tenderness in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. It is the sum of the grades of tenderness (0 = not tender, 1 = tender, 2 = tender and causes wince, and 3 = tender, causes wince and effort to withdraw) elicited by applying firm pressure over the joint margin of articular joints (e.g., shoulders, elbow, wrists, hips).
