Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), comprising ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and nonradiographic axial SpA, is the main form of chronic inflammatory arthritis affecting the axial skeleton. In this resource center, you’ll find our summary of the 2019 treatment guideline, as well as current research reviews, case reports and clinical articles on advances in the diagnosis and management of axial spondyloarthritis.
FEATURED ARTICLE: More Than Meets the Eye
Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is a complex, immune-mediated inflammatory disorder characterized by inflammatory back pain and axial arthritis. Typical of other diseases in the spondyloarthritis family, the clinical phenotypes can be diverse, and an array of comorbidities often accompanies the spinal disease. “In this Meet the Professor Session at ACR Convergence 2024,” says Christopher Ritchlin, MD,…
Studies show that patients with difficult-to-treat axial spondyloarthritis had more disease activity and greater peripheral involvement, with extra musculoskeletal manifestations and fibromyalgia. The ACR Convergence 2024 session on Difficult-to-Manage Spondyloarthritis will focus on patients for whom first- and second-line therapies have failed or who have persistent extra-axial manifestations of disease despite these treatment options. The…
Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), comprising ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and nonradiographic axial SpA, is the main form of chronic inflammatory arthritis affecting the axial skeleton. What research in axial spondyloarthrits to be presented at ACR Convergence 2024 has the greatest potential for a positive impact on clinical care, treatment options or serve as the basis for future…
Pimentel et al. evaluated the influence of anti-infliximab antibodies on patients with axial spondyloarthritis. The researchers found that anti-infliximab antibodies were associated with decreased infliximab performance and difficulty tapering its dosage, as well as a good clinical response to a second, alternate tumor necrosis factor inhibitor.
The FDA has accepted applications for three new indications for bimekizumab-bkzx, a humanized interleukin (IL) 17A and IL-17F antagonist: psoriatic arthritis, non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis and ankylosing spondylitis.
SAN DIEGO—In recent years, the recognition of nr-axSpa has helped identify the cause of back pain in many patients previously without a diagnosis. However, questions remain about how to avoid under- or over-diagnosing the condition. In the session titled, Pearls and Pitfalls in Diagnosing Non-Radiographic Axial Spondyloarthritis, several speakers provided high-yield insights on this topic. Diagnostic challenges, imaging options and mimics to watch for were among the specific points of discussion.
SAN DIEGO—Alexis Ogdie-Beatty, MD, MSCE, associate professor of medicine, associate professor of epidemiology, Department of Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, gave a presentation on non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA) in the Review Course prior to ACR Convergence 2023.
During the 19th Annual Johns Hopkins Advances in the Diagnosis and Treatment of the Rheumatic Diseases Symposium, Dr. Atul Deodhar provided an overview on axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) and non-radiographic axSpA, with helpful insights into the diagnosis and care of patients with these conditions.
Research suggests the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may mask the amount of sacroiliac joint inflammation found on MRI in patients with axial spondyloarthritis.
PHILADELPHIA—Treat to target (T2T) is a common phrase in rheumatology these days—and a welcome one.1 Many of us are familiar with what T2T means in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but we may be less sure of its meaning in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). At ACR Convergence 2022, Alexis Ogdie, MD, associate professor of medicine and epidemiology, University of…
PHILADELPHIA—Approximately 100 research abstracts on axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) were accepted for presentation at ACR Convergence 2022. It is exciting to see a wealth of research on axSpA being undertaken worldwide. Here, we highlight important points from 10 of these studies. 1. Abstract 0378: Prevalence of Axial Spondyloarthritis (axSpA) in Patients Treated for Chronic Back Pain…
The FDA has approved upadacitinib for the treatment of non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA) based on a short-term study that demonstrated improved pain, function and other symptoms of nr-axSpA in patients with active disease.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the gold standard imaging modality for the detection of sacroiliitis, a hallmark of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). However, the specificity of MRI for axSpA has been questioned. Renson et al. found that structural MRI-detected SI joint lesions are frequently seen in healthy individuals.