Accelerated development of cervical spine instabilities in rheumatoid arthritis: a prospective minimum 5-year cohort study.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To clarify the incidence and predictive risk factors of cervical spine instabilities which may induce compression myelopathy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods

Three types of cervical spine instability were radiographically categorized into "moderate" and "severe" based on atlantoaxial subluxation (AAS: atlantodental interval >3 mm versus ≥10 mm), vertical subluxation (VS: Ranawat value <13 mm versus ≤10 mm), and subaxial subluxation (SAS: irreducible translation ≥2 mm versus ≥4 mm or at multiple). 228 "definite" or "classical" RA patients (140 without instability and 88 with "moderate" instability) were prospectively followed for >5 years. The endpoint incidence of "severe" instabilities and predictors for "severe" instability were determined.

SUBMITTER: Yurube T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3928338 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature