Purpose This article reviews the phases of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) development in terms of
the evolution of disease, with a focus on events that occur before the first appearance of
clinically apparent inflammatory arthritis. This presynovitis period is defined in individuals
who eventually develop classified RA as the pre-RA phase. We include additional
discussion of the relevance of this model of RA development to the concept of disease
prevention. Methods The information provided in this review was identified through searches …