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An official publication of the ACR and the ARP serving rheumatologists and rheumatology professionals

Axial Spondyloarthritis FocusRheum

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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 Dr. David Pisetsky’s picks for the top research in axSpA presented at ACR Convergence 2024 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: Measures of Success

ACR Convergence 2024

Key Research in Axial Spondyloarthritis Encapsulated

Our understanding of (axSpA) has really changed, especially with regard to male-female differences. In this report, we identify important research on axSpA presented at ACR Convergence 2024, summarize the abstracts and comment on why each is important, addressing the relevance for clinicians and the potential impact on future research.

Are Sacroiliac Joint MRIs Accurate in Routine Clinical Practice?

Hadsbjerg et al. compared assessments of sacroiliac joint MRIs in local MRI reports from routine care in five European countries with re-reads by central experts in patients with a diagnosis of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) or psoriatic arthritis (PsA) to estimate the extent of over- or under-reporting of features and misclassification.

Approaches to Difficult-to-Manage Spondyloarthritis

At this ACR Convergence 2024 session, two experts spoke about identifying difficult-to-manage patients with spondyloarthritis, differentiating active disease from fibromyalgia & therapy selection in these patients.

Meet the Professor: Axial Spondyloarthritis

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,…

Difficult-to-Manage Spondyloarthritis

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: Research that Matters

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…

Research, Case Reports & More

Chronic Back Pain & axSpA

Maksymowych et al. assessed the frequency of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) according to extra-articular presentation and human leukocyte antigen B27 (HLA-B27) status and sought to identify features that distinguish patients with axSpA from those with non-specific back pain. Their data support recommendations that patients with chronic back pain and extra-articular features related to axSpA be screened for axSpA with MRI and referred to a rheumatologist.

Measures of Success

Can a treat-to-target strategy achieve better outcomes for patients with spondyloarthritis? Insights from the latest data.

Anti-Infliximab Antibodies Predict Response in Axial Spondyloarthritis

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.

New Indications Possible for Bimekizumab-bkzx

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.

More Than Meets the Eye

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.

Non-Radiographic Axial Spondyloarthritis: A Review

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.

Concerning the Back: Updates in AS & nr-axSpA

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.

Treat to Target in axSpA

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…

Top Research in Axial Spondyloarthritis Presented at ACR Convergence 2022

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…