Frequency of MRI changes suggestive of axial spondyloarthritis in the axial skeleton in a large population-based cohort of individuals aged &lt

Abstract

I read with great interest the recent report by Baraliakos et al published in the Annals of Rheumatic Disease, about a general population cohort study of healthy volunteers that examined the presence of bone marrow oedema and fatty lesions on MRI of the spine and sacroiliac joints.1 Over the past decade, imaging techniques such as the MRI have revolutionised the application of radiographic findings in the early diagnosis of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA).2 In this study, the authors elegantly identified an increased frequency of fatty lesions as well as bone marrow oedema in the vertebral …