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RA patients requiring spine surgery have more disease activity, disabilities
Patients with rheumatoid arthritis who underwent cervical spine surgery tended to have higher disease activity and were more functionally disabled than controls, according to study findings.
Researchers analyzed 39 patients who underwent cervical spine surgery for a rheumatoid arthritis (RA)-related cause with 2-year data available in the National Database of Rheumatic Diseases by iR-net in Japan. The study also included 106 controls with RA matched for age, gender and disease duration. Surgical patient characteristics were compared with all patients from within the same fiscal year. The researchers then compared demographic information between the surgical group and controls.
Despite an increased use of biologics during the study period, the researchers noted that the number of patients who underwent cervical spine surgery was unchanged.
Patients with RA who underwent surgery had more tender joints than controls (3 vs. 1), as well as a significantly higher C-reactive protein (1.5 vs. 0.36), disease activity score 28-CRP (3.63 vs. 2.81) and Modified Health Assessment Questionnaire score (1.13 vs. 0.5) compared with control patients, according to the researchers.
Disclosure: The authors have no relevant financial disclosures