Radiologic review: the cervical spine in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.

In our patients, zygapophyseal joint fusion was the most frequent and characteristic roentgenographic finding of cervical spine involvement in JRA. It was not associated with any subset of patients. Atlanto-dens interval greater than 4.5 mm was present in 20% of patients, but was not related to the development of neurologic manifestations. Mild enthesopathic-like changes around the upper cervical area were observed in some children. In patients with severe long standing disease and extensive zygapophyseal joint fusion, longitudinal ligament calcification was observed. Growth disturbances of the cervical spine were more frequently observed in patients with zygapophyseal joint fusion and earlier onset of disease.