title: Radiological outcome in ankylosing spondylitis: use of the Stoke Ankylosing Spondylitis Spine Score (SASSS).
abstract: We investigated the role of the Stoke Ankylosing Spondylitis Spine Score (SASSS) in a longitudinal cohort study of 53 patients with AS, assessed 9 yr apart, and its relation to clinical, functional and laboratory measures of disease activity and outcome. We also examined the long-term predictive value of quantitative sacroiliac scintigraphy (QSS). SASSS correlated closely with clinical measures, including occiput-wall distance (OWD) (P < 0.001) and modified Schober (P < 0.001). QSS was significantly correlated with final X-ray score (P < 0.05). SASSS changed significantly (P < 0.001) over the study period; two patterns of change in spine score were discernible, one with little change in radiological score and the other showing marked progression. The SASSS is a useful, valid score, which correlates with clinical outcomes measures and which has identified specific patterns of radiographic progression in AS.
authors.affiliation: Staffordshire Rheumatology Centre, The Haywood, Stoke on Trent, New Zealand.
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Averns
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Oxtoby
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dziedzic
authors.forename: P T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Dawes
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011859:Radiography; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013131:Spine / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*