Spondyloarthritis & psoriatic arthritis
Distribution of spinal damage in patients with axial spondyloarthritis as assessed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): a prospective and blinded study
Authors' conclusion
MRI of the whole spine revealed a high prevalence of lesions in dorsal parts of the vertebral column and in the thoracic spine in patients with axial SpA that may not be adequately visualized on conventional radiographs.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with axial spondyloarthritis (SpA) classified by ASAS criteria (13 females, average disease duration 14.9 years); whole-spine MRI, 23 vertebral units per patient13 females
- Participants
- 55 patients
- Outcome
- Distribution of structural spinal lesions on whole-spine MRI
Methodological detailsprospective, blinded, two blinded radiologists independently evaluated MRIs
- Prospective
- Blinded
- Two blinded radiologists independently evaluated MRIs
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Structural bone lesions on whole-spine MRI
- Ventral vertebral body structural bone lesions (total)
- 657
- Dorsal vertebral body structural bone lesions (total)
- 139
- Facet joint lesions (total)
- 534
- Median lesions per patient, thoracic spine (range 1.0-41.0)
- 8.5
- Median lesions per patient, lumbar spine (range 0.0-27.5)
- 7.5
- Median lesions per patient, cervical spine (range 0.0-24.5)
- 3.5
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Correlation of osteoproliferative structural bone lesions with impairment of spinal mobility and function
- Negative correlation in univariate, but not in multivariate analyses
Original publication
Distribution of spinal damage in patients with axial spondyloarthritis as assessed by MRI: a prospective and blinded study. Arthritis Res Ther. Published 14 January 2025. doi:10.
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