The following is a summary of “Clinical Relevance of Axial Radiographic Damage in Axial Spondyloarthritis: Evaluation of Functional Consequences by an Objective Electronic Device,” published in the November 2023 issue of Rheumatology by Kiefer et al.
Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is a chronic inflammatory disease that can cause decreased spinal mobility, which can be measured objectively using the Epionics SPINE device (ES) to assess a range of motion (RoM) and speed (range of kinematics [RoK]).
Researchers performed a retrospective study to evaluate ES’s performance in measuring radiographic damage in the axial skeleton of patients with axSpA.
They examined 103 patients diagnosed with axSpA, including 31 with non-radiographic axSpA (nr-axSpA) and 72 with radiographic axSpA (r-axSpA). ES examined traditional spine radiographs, detailing syndesmophyte presence, number, and location, and evaluated sacroiliac joints (SIJs) following the modified New York criteria. Function and mobility were assessed via analyses of covariance and Spearman correlation.
The results showed a positive correlation between the number of syndesmophytes and Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Metrology Index scores (r 0.38, P=0.02). Conversely, the number of syndesmophytes had a negative correlation with chest expansion (r −0.39, P=0.02) and ES measurements (−0.53 ≤ r ≤ −0.34, all P<0.03), except for RoM and RoK related to rotation and RoK concerning the extension of the lumbar and thoracic spines. In the evaluation of SIJs, the severity of damage had a negative correlation with ES scores and metric measurements (−0.49 ≤ r ≤ −0.33, all P<0.001). Patients with r-axSpA showed significantly worse ES scores for RoM, RoK, and chest expansion than those with nr-axSpA.
They concluded that ES scores correlate with radiographic damage in axSpA, and patients with radiographic axSpA have more severe impairments.
Source: jrheum.org/content/50/11/1422
