![]() ![]() RA may also involve the cervical spine in 20–70% of patients and may start early during the disease course. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory rheumatic disease often involving the small joints of the hands and feet, the wrists, elbows, ankles, and knees. 3 T MRI is a sensitive method to assess AAS, as well as soft tissue lesions and odontoid erosions. Higher disease activity and erosive disease are associated with atlantoaxial involvement. The presence of cervical involvement in RA patients with 10–11 years of disease duration is still an important and frequent phenomenon. None of the patients had any lesions requiring surgery. Anterior AAS was associated with higher degree of inflammation, soft tissue thickening was seen at younger age, while odontoid erosions were associated with van der Heijde–Sharp scores of the hand. There were no significant differences among the therapeutic subgroups. We detected anterior AAS and soft tissue thickening in one-quarter, while odontoid erosions in eight (16%) of RA patients. We associated our MRI findings with clinical, laboratory parameters, and hand radiography. ![]() In addition to AAS, we also determined odontoid erosion or periodontal soft tissue thickening. We assessed the first (C1) and second (C2) cervical vertebrae by 3 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The patients had no cervical pain or any neurological symptoms. ![]() Among them, 15 were methotrexate treated, biologic free, while 34 patients received biologics. Altogether 49 female RA patients were included. The onset of myelopathy can occur at any time. In the era of modern therapies, atlantoaxial subluxation (AAS) may be rare however, it may still be detected in asymptomatic patients. Patients with cervical facet osteoarthritis will often have tenderness or swelling over the site of the affected facet joints, as well as reduced range of motion in the neck.Cervical spine involvement may lead to severe complications in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). It may also cause headaches, a form of radiated or referred pain, especially in the back of the head. If these osteophytes impinge on any cervical nerve roots, pain, weakness, or tingling may radiate along the path of the nerve into the arm and hand.Ĭervical facet osteoarthritis may cause pain in the neck and upper back as well as the shoulders and between the shoulder blades. This friction can lead to the development of osteophytes, or bone spurs. The cartilage begins to thin and may even disappear completely, causing bone-on-bone friction of the facet joints in the neck. In cervical facet osteoarthritis, this cartilage begins to degenerate, or break down. This synovial fluid helps lubricate the facet joint, enabling smooth movements of the joint complex. These joints provide stability, while also enabling neck movements such as turning or nodding the head.Ĭartilage lines each facet joint in the neck, and this cartilage is surrounded by a capsule filled with synovial fluid. There are two facet joints on either side of the back of each vertebra in the neck. The cervical spine includes the top seven levels of the spine, labeled C1 through C7. Cervical facet osteoarthritis, sometimes called cervical facet joint syndrome, is a degenerative condition that causes pain and stiffness in the cervical, or neck, region of the spine. ![]()
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