Bone mineral density and trabecular bone score in patients with non-radiographic axial spondyloarthropathy

ABSTRACT

Background: spondyloarthropathies (SpA) are a group of chronic inflammatory rheumatic conditions that share multiple clinical features including axial and/or peripheral arthritis, enthesitis, absence of serum rheumatoid factor and presence of common extra articular manifestations. Objective: the aim of this work is to study bone mineral density and trabecular bone score at patients with non-radiographic axial spondyloarthropathy. Patients and Methods: this study is a cross sectional study in which 200 patients having chronic back pain selected from those attending the outpatient clinic and inpatient of Al-Azhar University Hospitals, Damietta and were divided into two groups 1- (Group A, study group) (160) patients had inflammatory low back pain fulfilling Calin criteria for inflammatory low back pain. 2- (Group B, control group) (40) patients had mechanical low back pain not fulfilling criteria of inflammatory back pain. Results: regarding results of clinical examination, there was significant increase of arthritis, dactylitis, enthesitis and psoriasis in Group A when compared to Group B (43.3%, 16.7%, 30.0%, 20.0% vs 3.3%, 0.0%, 3.3% and 3.3% respectively). In addition, there was significant increase of arthritis plus dactylitis and arthritis plus enthesitis in Group A when compared to Group B (16.7%, 30.0% vs 3.3% and 0.0% respectively). Conclusion: results of the present study proved that, both bone mineral density and trabecular bone scores showed early changes in patients with non-radiographic axial spondylo-arthropathy. In addition, both correlated with each other and with results of axial magnetic resonance imaging. Thus, they are advocated in diagnosis of nr. SPA