The concept of spondyloarthritides (or spondyloarthropathies, SpAs) that comprises a group of interrelated disorders has been recognised since the early 1970s. While the European Spondyloarthropathy Study Group (ESSG) criteria and…
Spondyloarthritis refers to a group of inflammatory rheumatic diseases that share common clinical and genetic characteristics. Due to the rapid advances in technology and computational genetics, there is now an…
When Bernard Connor published the first anatomical description on the skeletal abnormalities found in established Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) in 1691 ( Fig. 1 ), he could hardly have anticipated the importance…
The systemic vasculitides are multisystem disorders characterised by the inflammation of blood vessels and tissue necrosis. Classified by the size of the vessels affected, the large vessel vasculitides include giant…
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a multisystem auto-immune disease. The two main subtypes of SSc (limited and diffuse) typically have differing courses and prognoses. New classification criteria have been proposed to…
Abstract Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is one of the most diverse autoimmune diseases as it may affect any organ in the body and display a broad spectrum of clinical and…
The study of the descriptive epidemiology of chronic widespread pain (CWP) in several countries is of interest, as the occurrence of this condition varies among different populations. However, reports of…
Gout is the most common inflammatory joint disease in men, characterised by formation of monosodium urate (MSU) crystals in the synovial fluid of joints and in other tissues. The epidemiology…
The prevalence of osteoporosis is expected to increase with the ageing of the world’s population. This article reviews the epidemiology, risk factors and health burden of osteoporosis. In the Global…
Neck pain is becoming increasingly common throughout the world. It has a considerable impact on individuals and their families, communities, health-care systems, and businesses. There is substantial heterogeneity between neck…
