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The following is a summary of “Pelvic parameters as prognostic factors of radiographic progression in classical Ankylosing Spondylitis: A prospective follow-up data,” published in the July 2024 issue of Rheumatology by Abacar et al.

Mechanical strain influences the progression of ankylosing spondylitis (AS), with pelvic parameters impacting spinal shape and entheses weight distribution.

Researchers conducted a prospective study assessing how baseline pelvic parameters predict radiographic progression in patients with AS.

They enrolled patients with AS meeting modified New York criteria from MARS (MARmara Spondyloarthritis) outpatient clinics. An orthopedic surgeon and radiologist derived pelvic parameters, while radiographic progression was evaluated using the modified Stoke Ankylosing Spondylitis Spine Score (mSASSS). Risk analysis employed logistic regression to identify predictors of progression over a median 47.7-month follow-up.

The result showed 69 patients with a median (IQR 25–75), and prospective follow-up was 47.7 (34.6–52.8) months. Only 33.3% of patients experienced radiographic progression. Lower pelvic tilt (PT) was correlated with radiographic progression (P=0.037), with each degree decreasing, leading to an increase in progression risk of 9%. Male patients were 7.5 times more likely to progress.

Investigators concluded that understanding pelvic parameters could guide personalized interventions beyond anti-inflammatory therapies in managing radiographic progression in AS.

Source: link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00296-024-05646-w