Axial Spondyloarthritis Clinical Research Year in Review: SPARTAN 2024 Annual Meeting Proceedings.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The purpose of this review is to highlight high impact clinical research in axial spondyloarthritis that was published between May 2023 and April 2024. These publications were presented at the SPARTAN annual meeting in May 2024.

RECENT FINDINGS

Three publications addressed the rate and predictors of radiographic progression in axial spondyloarthritis. MRI-based synthetic CT was introduced as a new modality to assess spinal structural damage. One of the first definitions of difficult to treat axial spondyloarthritis was published. Biologic taper, flare rates, and predictors of flares were discussed. Minimally invasive one-level osteotomy can be an option to correct kyphosis with less risk compared to standard approach. Different therapeutic classes seem to be protective against anterior uveitis in axial spondyloarthritis. Patients who receive biologic or targeted synthetic disease modifying antirheumatic drugs are at increased risk of non-serious infections, but not serious infections that are associated with hospitalization or mortality. This year-in-review session covered different concepts, including imaging and radiographic progression, difficult to treat axial spondyloarthritis, biologic taper, surgery, anterior uveitis, and risk of infections.