title: CERVICAL SPINE LESIONS IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS PATIENTS.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to gather clinical and laboratory data on rheumatoid arthritis patients with cervical spine damage (incidence and prevalence, correlation between duration of disease and the time of lesion onset, to assess signs and symptoms and the role of laboratory investigations). The spine is an axial organ with an important role in support and resistance. It is a pillar with a very complex morphological and functional structure. The vertebral column is crossed by many kinematic chains. The main problem of the cervical spine caused by rheumatoid arthritis is cervical instability which describes all cervical lesions that can lead to neurovascular damage or major disturbance of pain generating statics at movement. The evolving disease shows chronic inflammation of the synovium, which is a self-maintained process and an immunologically induced phenomenon. The chronic inflammation of the synovium forms granulation tissue that invades peripheral joints towards the center and causes ligament cartilage and bone damage.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present paper investigated cervical spine lesions in 107 rheumatoid arthritis patients who were admitted to the 1st Rheumatology Clinic of Iasi Rehabilitation Hospital between January 2013 and December 2014. Our study focused on assessing signs and symptoms seen in spine affected by rheumatic disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  the disease causes destructive lesions due to granulomatous infiltration of rachidian structures and medullary sheaths. These lesions lead to damaged discs and instability that produces subluxations and dislocations. The suboccipital region is most affected; in other regions of the spine, high lesions of C4-C5 prevail, where osteolysis damage of spinal apophyses are found. In atlas and axis joints, rheumatoid arthritis causes the inflammation of bursa, synovium and joint capsule and leads to synovial pannus formation. This causes the destruction of cartilage and subchondral bone. Atlantoaxial dislocation is caused by erosive synovitis of atlanto-epistrophic joint, atlanto-odontoid joint and serous bursitis separating the odontoid process from the transverse ligament.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The dominant symptom of cervical spine damage was pain associated with stiffness and limited joint mobility, muscle stiffness, poor posture.
authors.forename: Luana-Andreea
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Macovei
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rezuş
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D001268:Atlanto-Axial Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001368:Axis, Cervical Vertebra / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D004204:Joint Dislocations / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D007593:Joint Instability / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010014:Osteolysis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D015995:Prevalence; D011859:Radiography; D012047:Rehabilitation Centers; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012383:Romania / Q000453:epidemiology; D013583:Synovial Membrane / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging