Early axSpA diagnosis linked to less spinal damage after 10-15 years

This longitudinal analysis of the Swiss Clinical Quality Management registry compared spinal radiographic progression (mSASSS) between patients diagnosed with early versus established axial spondyloarthritis, using 1181 radiograph sets from 376 patients followed for a mean of 11.5 years. The study reported that patients diagnosed early had lower long-term mSASSS scores than those diagnosed with established disease, a difference of -3.85 units that became evident 10-15 years after diagnosis and remained significant after adjusting for baseline radiographic damage. The authors concluded that early diagnosis is associated with lower long-term spinal structural damage.

Most relevant for: Patients with axial spondyloarthritis, particularly those at the point of initial diagnosis and long-term follow-up of spinal structural damage.

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