Chronic but not inflammatory changes at the Achilles’ tendon differentiate patients with peripheral spondyloarthritis from other diagnoses – Results from a prospective clinical trial

Abstract

Differentiation between pSpA and non-SpA was only possible based on structural but not inflammatory changes in the heels and knees of symptomatic patients. US/PDUS was superior to MRI for this purpose. These findings imply that pSpA is associated with erosive changes at enthesitic sites, while inflammation and susceptibility are of minor influence for the development of erosions and calcification to pSpA.