Table 1

Summary of studies assessing the relationship between inflammation on baseline STIR MRI of the spine and development of new syndesmophytes after 2 years of follow up

Number of patients with new syndesmophytes at 2 years

Study

Yes

No

OR (95% CI)

P-value

Baraliakos et al. [19]

Baseline VE+ (n = 163; 17.2%)

10 (6.5%)

153 (93.5%)

3.1 (1.4-7.1)

0.007

Baseline VE- (n = 785; 82.8%)

16 (2.1%)

769 (97.9%)

Maksymowych et al. [20]

Anti-TNFα trial patients

Baseline CIL+ (n = 30)

6 (20%)

24 (80%)

4.6 (1.7-12.6)

0.007

Baseline CIL- (n = 370)

19 (5.1%)

351 (94.9%)

Observational cohort patients

Baseline CIL+ (n = 28)

6 (15.8%)

32(84.2%)

6.3 (2.4-16.7)

0.001

Baseline CIL- (n = 617)

23 (2.9%)

778 (97.1%)

Van der Heijde et al. [21]

Baseline DVU+ (n = 297)

36 (12.1%)

261 (87.9%)

1.9 (1.3-2.8)

0.002

Baseline DVU- (n = 1,707)

115 (6.7%)

1,592 (93.3%)

CIL, vertebral corner inflammatory lesion [20]; DVU, discovertebral unit [21]; OR, odds ratio; STIR, short tau inversion recovery; VE, vertebral edge [19].

Maksymowych Arthritis Research & Therapy 2012 14:207   doi:10.1186/ar3786