Greater Resting Lumbar Extensor Myofascial Stiffness in Younger Ankylosing Spondylitis Patients Than Age-Comparable Healthy Volunteers Quantified by Myotonometry

Do Microinjury Mechanisms Complement Inflammation in Sacroiliac Joint Ankylosis on Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Young Spondyloarthritis Patients? Comment on the Article by Bray et al

“…The novel findings of a distinct trend of decreasing inflammation and increasing fusion following TNFi treatment (1) are consistent with the proposed complementary role of mechanical stress and inflammation in the pathogenesis of axial SpA (4,5). New bone formation with ankylosis of the sacroiliac joints and the spine is the main type of structural damage to the skeleton that is observed in SpA (4) and used in the diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) (6,7). A priority research agenda for interpreting MRI of the spine and sacroiliac joints in the diagnosis of axial SpA is to differentiate which structural MRI lesions may be stress-or biomechanically induced, as opposed to other active or inflammation-related lesions (5).…”

“…Equally valuable studies can address the effects of TNFi therapy on MRI lesions observed in patients with early AS. The future collective MRI findings in SpA and AS, in addition to biomechanically focused research (4,6,7), are promising in their potential to clarify whether stress and microinjury mechanisms complement inflammation in the progression of ankylosis seen on MRI in patients with SpA and early AS.…”

“…Additionally, age-tailored disease activity scores for adolescent population have only recently been validated (4). Looking forward, MRI has the potential to be more specific for the detection of inflammation than either clinical assessment of disease or serum biomarkers of inflammation, especially as new MRI methods (quantitative MRI in particular) come into practice (5)(6)(7)(8). In addition to supporting clinical studies of new therapies, we agree with Masi that MRI can contribute to better understanding the role of inflammation in the evolution of new bone formation and disease progression.…”

The Influence of Dental Occlusion on Dynamic Balance and Muscular Tone

“…The MyotonPro is a non-invasive device that allows to explain variations in mechanical properties from resting muscular tone. Many studies described a solid relationship between altered muscle mechanical properties quantified using MyotonPro and some injuries as low back pain (Nair et al, 2016) and ankylosing spondylitis (Andonian et al, 2015). On the other hand, CNS-stimulated muscle tone depends on active contractions and can be detected by electromyography devices .…”

Analysis of Biomechanical Properties of the Lumbar Extensor Myofascia in Elderly Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain and That in Healthy People

“…e biomechanical properties of muscles and fascia when an individual is resting are the intrinsic characteristics of these tissues, and in the back, these properties play an important role in maintaining the stability of spine [14]. Some studies have reported that the stiffness of the lumbar extensor myofascia in patients with ankylosing spondylitis is greater than that of healthy people of the same age, and the elasticity of the lumbar extensor myofascia in such patients is lower than that in healthy people of the same age [14,15]. Some studies have also quantitatively analyzed the muscle tone and stiffness of the lumbar and dorsal fascia in adolescent patients with CLBP [16].…”