A method of acquiring ultrasound images for a rheumatoid arthritis examination comprises receiving a hand in a scanning assembly including a transducer array and a fluid providing an acoustic coupling between the transducer array and the hand and identifying locations of a plurality of finger joints of the hand while the hand is held stationary in the scanning assembly. Ultrasound images of the plurality of finger joints are acquired with the transducer array while the hand is held stationary in the scanning assembly, wherein the ultrasound images are of an area less than an entire area of the hand based on the identified locations of the finger joints of the hand.
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