Ankylosing Spondylitis Resource Center

The availability of new medications approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration to treat ankylosing spondylitis (AS), as well as new evidence on tapering and discontinuing biologics, magnetic resonance imaging and radiograph imaging were the driving forces behind the release of a revised treatment guideline for AS and non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis in 2019. In this resource center, you’ll find our summary of the guideline, as well as research reviews, case reports and clinical articles on advances in the diagnosis and management of AS.

FEATURED ARTICLE: Depression in Ankylosing Spondylitis: Mastery Is Key

Cytokine Targets & Treatment Developments for Psoriatic Arthritis & Spondyloarthritis

ACR CONVERGENCE 2020—In recent years, a pathophysiological role for the interleukin (IL) 17/IL-23 axis in the development of psoriasis, enthesitis and inflammatory arthritis has been investigated in both rodent and human models. Clinical trials have demonstrated differential benefits for skin disease and joint disease in patients with psoriatic arthritis, axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) and ankylosing spondylitis… [Read More]

MRI & Axial Spondyloarthritis: Experts Discuss Controversies in the Diagnostic Evaluation of axSpA

Three experts discuss the ins and outs of using magnetic resonance imaging to diagnose axial spondyloarthritis, particularly in individuals who lack clear clinical symptoms indicative of disease. ... [Read More]

FDA Receives Upadacitinib Application for Ankylosing Spondylitis & Approves Tramadol Hydrochloride Oral Solution

In August, Abbvie submitted a new drug application for upadacitinib to treat ankylosing spondylitis. And in September, the FDA approved an oral solution of tramadol hydrochloride for pain.... [Read More]

Interleukin 17 Inhibitors Promising in Ankylosing Spondylitis Patients

In patients with active ankylosing spondylitis, IL-17 inhibitors have produced favorable responses, according to recent research…... [Read More]

Ankylosing Spondylitis & Uveitis: An Ophthalmologist’s Perspective

It’s often said the eyes are the window to the soul, and in the case of ankylosing spondylitis and other spondyloarthropathies, one can also say the eyes are the window to systemic disease. Although uveitis occurs in approximately 2–5% of patients with inflammatory bowel disease, 6–9% of patients with psoriatic arthritis and 25% of patients… [Read More]

Depression in Ankylosing Spondylitis: Mastery Is Key

A recent study indicates that depression in patients with ankylosing spondylitis is a result of both contextual and disease-related factors. Researchers found a patient’s mastery—the perception they have control over things in their lives—plays a key role in the development of depression in this patient population…... [Read More]

Imagining a Life Free from the Pain of Ankylosing Spondylitis

Dan Reynolds, the lead singer of the Grammy award-winning band Imagine Dragons, has partnered with Novartis to increase awareness of ankylosing spondylitis.... [Read More]

The Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index’s History & Patient View

Sir William Osler, widely regarded as one of the greatest physicians of the 20th century, once said, “He who studies medicine without books sails an uncharted sea, but he who studies medicine without patients does not go to sea at all.”1 This sentiment is particularly true in the field of rheumatology, in which understanding the… [Read More]

Updates to Axial Spondyloarthritis Guideline

A 2019 update of the ACR’s previous clinical practice guideline on axial spondyloarthritis is now available online. Lead investigator Michael Ward, MD, shares advice for implementing the guideline updates, including those related to sequencing and tapering biologics, and knowing when to obtain images.... [Read More]

Tracking Bone Deterioration in Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis

Trabecular bone score and high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography may be effective for evaluating bone impairment in patients ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Rheumatologists may be able to use these methods, complementary to dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, to identify bone quality deterioration in AS patients.... [Read More]