Abstract: The invention encompasses methods, including computer-implemented methods, of defining a virtual patient population and mapping the virtual patient population to a population of real patients. The invention utilizes virtual measures from one or more virtual patients, and data representative of multiple real subjects in a sample population, such as data collected from patients in a clinical trial or epidemiological study of a real population. The invention includes evaluating the similarity between the virtual patients and the real subjects, and assigning prevalences to the virtual patients based on the evaluation. The similarity can be assessed using some or all of the virtual measures of the virtual patients and some or all of the data obtained for the real subjects. Any of various goodness-of-fit measures can be used to evaluate the similarity or to help identify prevalences. The virtual patient population is defined as the virtual patients according to their respective prevalences.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a mathematical and computer model of a joint. The model includes representation of the biological processes related to the synovial tissue and cartilage. In one embodiment, the model represents a human joint afflicted with rheumatoid arthritis.