title: Axial spondyloarthritis: a new disease entity, not necessarily early ankylosing spondylitis.
abstract: New classification criteria for axial spondyloarthritis have been developed with the goal of increasing sensitivity of criteria for early inflammatory spondyloarthritis. However these criteria substantially increase heterogeneity of the resulting disease group, reducing their value in both research and clinical settings. Further research to establish criteria based on better knowledge of the natural history of non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis, its aetiopathogenesis and response to treatment is required. In the meantime the modified New York criteria for ankylosing spondylitis remain a very useful classification criteria set, defining a relatively homogenous group of cases for clinical use and research studies.
authors.affiliation: University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Level 4, R Wing, Building 1, Woolloongabba, Brisbane, QLD 4102, Australia.
authors.forename: Philip Cameron
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: Bryan Paul
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Wordsworth
authors.forename: John D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Reveille
authors.forename: Matthew A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D025241:Spondylarthritis / Q000145:classification*; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000145:classification*