Instantaneous death risk, conditional survival and optimal surgery timing in cervical fracture patients with ankylosing spondylitis: A national multicentre retrospective study

Management of cervical fractures in ankylosing spondylitis: a ten-year systemic review of surgical and nonsurgical outcomes

Cervical fractures in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) are complex and carry significant morbidity and mortality due to the progressive rigidity and brittle bone characteristic of the disease. This meta-analysis highlights the management techniques and outcomes of cervical fractures in patients with ankylosing spondylitis over the past 10 years. A systematic review was conducted using databases such as PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Web of Science, covering studies published between 2014 and 2024. Outcomes assessed included neurological outcomes, complications, mortality, reoperations, and length of hospital stay. The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) checklist was used to evaluate bias. Sixty-six (66) articles with 1972 patients were analyzed. The mean age of patients was 57.02 years, with a male-to-female ratio of 9.8:1, p < 0.001. Most fractures occurred at C6- C7 (36.66%) and C5- C6 (27.74%). Posterior fusion was the most commonly performed surgery (40.0%), followed by combined anterior-posterior fusion (28.3%), and anterior fusion (22.9%). Nonsurgical management was reported in 8.8% with a failure rate of 1.2%. The reoperation rate was highest in the anterior fusion group (11.1%), and lowest in the combined fusion group (1.7%). Good neurological outcomes were observed in 63.4% of cases, while poor outcomes were noted in 33.7%. The overall mortality rate was 2.9%. Cervical fractures in ankylosing spondylitis present significant challenges due to spinal rigidity, altered biomechanics, and high complication risks. Posterior fusion remains the most utilized approach, while combined anterior-posterior fusion demonstrates lower reoperation rates. Conservative management, including external immobilization, is viable for carefully selected stable fractures. Prospective studies with standardized outcomes are essential to optimize treatment strategies and enhance patient outcomes.

Diagnostic efficacy of dual-energy CT virtual non-calcium technique in the diagnosis of bone marrow edema of sacroiliac joints in ankylosing spondylitis

OBJECTIVE

In-depth investigation of the diagnostic performance of dual-energy CT (DECT) virtual non-calcium (VNCa) technique for sacroiliac joint bone marrow edema (BME) in patients with ankylosing spondylitis(AS).

METHODS

A total of 42 patients with AS)who underwent sacroiliac joint MRI and DECT scans on the same day at our Rheumatology and Immunology Department between August 2022 and June 2023 were selected. Using MRI as the reference standard, the presence of BME on the iliac and sacral surfaces was evaluated, resulting in the categorization of patients into BME-positive and BME-negative groups. Subsequently, the DECT scan data was processed using the "Bone Marrow" algorithm to generate VNCa color-coded images of the bone marrow. The diagnostic performance of DECT in detecting BME was assessed through visual qualitative evaluation and objective quantitative analysis.

RESULTS

Visual qualitative assessment analysis showed good agreement between the results of BME analysis on virtual non-calcium images and MRI images by both physicians (Kappa > 0.61). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of visual qualitative assessment for BME by Physicians A and B were as follows: iliac facet [(92.5%, 88.6%, 88.1%, 92.9%, 90.5%), (90.0%, 90.9%, 90.0%, 90.9%, 90.5%)], sacral facet [(88.4%, 87.8%, 88.4%, 87.8%, 88.1%), (90.7%, 85.3%, 86.7%, 89.7%, 88.1%)].In terms of objective quantitative analysis, the CT values of the edematous areas on the iliac and sacral surfaces were (-41.4 ± 15.9) Hu and (-38.8 ± 19.7) Hu, respectively, while the CT values of normal bone marrow areas were (-79.6 ± 18.2) Hu and (-72.8 ± 14.8) Hu, respectively. The CT values of the edematous areas were higher than those of the non-edematous areas. Based on the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the area under the curve for the iliac and sacral surfaces were 0.90 and 0.89, respectively. The optimal CT cutoff values were - 57.4 Hu and - 56.8 Hu, with corresponding sensitivities of 92.5% and 86.4% and specificities of 90.7% and 87.8%.

CONCLUSION

The DECT VNCa technique has a high diagnostic efficacy in the diagnosis of BME in the sacroiliac joints in ankylosing spondylitis in terms of visual qualitative assessment and objective quantitative analysis.

Osteoporosis in axial radiographic spondyloarthritis: diagnostic limitations of bone mineral density and the need for comprehensive fracture risk assessment

Axial radiographic spondyloarthritis (r-axSpA) is a chronic inflammatory joint disease that leads to a considerable decline in the quality of life of patients by impairment of function and mobility, which, in turn, brings about a deterioration of both physical and mental health. Osteoporosis (OP) is a significant issue in the course of r-axSpA. Fractures resulting from OP complicate the treatment of the underlying disease and reduce the quality of life of patients. The aim of this paper is to discuss currently available diagnostic methods for OP and highlight why the gold standard for diagnosis - the assessment of bone mineral density via dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry - is not sufficient for patients with r-axSpA.

Hounsfield units in assessing bone mineral density in ankylosing spondylitis patients with cervical fracture-dislocation

BACKGROUND

Cervical spine fracture-dislocations in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) are mostly unstable and require surgery. However, osteoporosis, one of the comorbidities for AS, could lead to detrimental prognoses. There are few accurate assessments of bone mineral density in AS patients.

AIM

To analyze Hounsfield units (HUs) for assessing bone mineral density in AS patients with cervical fracture-dislocation.

METHODS

The HUs from C2 to C7 of 51 patients obtained from computed tomography (CT) scans and three-dimensional reconstruction of the cervical spine were independently assessed by two trained spinal surgeons and statistically analyzed. Inter-reader reliability and agreement were assessed by interclass correlation coefficient.

RESULTS

The HUs decreased gradually from C2 to C7. The mean values of the left and right levels were significantly higher than those in the middle. Among the 51 patients, 25 patients (49.02%) may be diagnosed with osteoporosis, and 16 patients (31.37%) may be diagnosed with osteopenia.

CONCLUSION

The HUs obtained by cervical spine CT are feasible for assessing bone mineral density with excellent agreement in AS patients with cervical fracture-dislocation.

Entry point of machine learning in axial spondyloarthritis

Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is a globally prevalent and challenging autoimmune disease. Characterised by insidious onset and slow progression, the absence of specific clinical manifestations and biomarkers often leads to misdiagnosis, thereby complicating early detection and diagnosis of axSpA. Furthermore, the high heterogeneity of axSpA, its complex pathogenesis and the lack of specific drugs means that traditional classification standards and treatment guidelines struggle to meet the demands of personalised treatment. Recently, machine learning (ML) has seen rapid advancements in the medical field. By integrating large-scale data with diverse algorithms and using multidimensional data, such as patient medical records, laboratory examinations, radiological data, drug usage and molecular biology information, ML can be modelled based on real-world clinical issues. This enables the diagnosis, stratification, therapeutic efficacy prediction and prognostic evaluation of axSpA, positioning it as an emerging research topic. This study explored the application and progression of ML in the diagnosis and therapy of axSpA from five perspectives: early diagnosis, stratification, disease monitoring, drug efficacy evaluation and comorbidity prediction. This study aimed to provide a novel direction for exploring rational diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for axSpA.