Spondylo Matters - Vol 6 No 1 - 2023

Introduction

Vision as President of SARAA and plans for biologics biosimilars and tsDMARDs in South Africa in the future

The last two decades have seen a dramatic improvement in the treatment of Rheumatological Diseases. Biological agents have enabled us to treat our patients to a target of remission and preventing the destructive, deforming outcomes that might otherwise result from these diseases.

Comparing the pathogenesis of spondyloarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis

Spondyloarthritis (SpA) can present in a variety of ways and may have clinical features that overlap with those of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Psoriatic arthritis can closely resemble RA in its clinical presentation and can potentially be misdiagnosed as seronegative RA.

Imaging of spondyloarthritis (part 2): Disease mimics and musculoskeletal complications

Seronegative spondyloarthropathies (SpA) are a related group of rheumatic conditions characterised by inflammatory involvement of the axial and/or appendicular skeleton. Clinical features are often vague and non-specific, with axial back pain being the most common presenting complaint.

The risk of developing active tuberculosis in patients with spondyloarthritis

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) remains the leading cause of infection related death globally. South Africa has been ranked by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as one of the highest tuberculosis (TB) burden countries worldwide.

Considerations for spine surgery in ankylosing spondylitis

Radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (r-axSpA) also known as ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a potentially severely debilitating rheumatological condition affecting mainly the axial skeleton. The disease process typically starts in the 2nd or 3rd decade of life but is often only diagnosed 10-20 years later (average age of diagnosis 48-49yr).