Application of the OMERACT filter to scoring methods for magnetic resonance imaging of the sacroiliac joints and the spine. Recommendations for a research agenda at OMERACT 7.

Magnetic resolution imaging (MRI) is a promising tool in the assessment of inflammation and structural damage in clinical trials in ankylosing spondylitis (AS). The ASAS/OMERACT MRI in AS working group, a collaborative initiative of rheumatologists and musculoskeletal radiologists with a special interest in this field, collected data on all available scoring methods for both sacroiliac (SI) joints and spine, and tested them with respect to the OMERACT filter. These data were presented together with the technical specifications of all methods at the OMERACT 7 conference. In addition, the results of 2 separate experiments on the inter-reader reliability of scoring methods to assess activity in SI joints, and on the comparison of STIR sequence versus T1 post-gadolinium (Gd) sequence for the spine, were presented. Thereafter, 8 groups discussed these data and proposed a research agenda, each on a different topic. This information was reported back to all participants and a prioritized research agenda was compiled by voting. Research on scoring methods for assessing disease activity, in both the spine and SI joints, was considered most important. Research on assessing structural damage was considered less important. The specific process and results of this initiative are discussed.