Purpose of review: Pain, functional limitation, and spinal damage are the three main domains that have significant impact on various aspects of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA).
Recent findings: Several randomized controlled trials (RCTs) showed a beneficial effect of non-steroid ant-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and biologic treatments on pain and function. The effect of available treatments on spinal damage is still of interest and is being studied. In this article, we review the literature on radiographic progression in axSpA. We discuss the natural course of spinal progression, predictors of spinal damage, and the effect of lifestyle changes and medications on radiographic progression in axSpA.
Keywords: Ankylosing spondylitis; Diagnostic imaging; Disease progression; Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents; Outcomes assessment; Smoking; Spondylarthropathies; Tumor necrosis factor-alpha.