Sequence of Events in the Pathogenesis of Axial Spondyloarthritis: A Current Review-2023 SPARTAN Meeting Proceedings.

Purpose Of Review: Over the past two decades, significant progress has been made to untangle the etiology of inflammation and new bone formation (NBF) associated with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). However, exact mechanisms as to how the disease initiates and develops remain elusive.

Recent Findings: Type 3 immunity, centered around the IL-23/IL-17 axis, has been recognized as a key player in the pathogenesis of axSpA.

Prostaglandin E2/EP4 axis is upregulated in Spondyloarthritis and contributes to radiographic progression.

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is an inflammatory disease leading to spine ankylosis; however, the mechanisms behind new bone formation are still not fully understood. Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) in PTGER4, encoding for the receptor EP4 of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), are associated with AS. Since the PGE2-EP4 axis participates in inflammation and bone metabolism, this work aims at investigating the influence of the prostaglandin-E2 axis on radiographic progression in AS.

TYK2 inhibition reduces type 3 immunity and modifies disease progression in murine spondyloarthritis.

Spondyloarthritis (SpA) represents a family of inflammatory diseases of the spine and peripheral joints. Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is the prototypic form of SpA in which progressive disease can lead to fusion of the spine. Therapeutically, knowledge of type 3 immunity has translated into the development of IL-23- and IL-17A-blocking antibodies for the treatment of SpA.

Pilot randomized controlled trials in the orthopaedic surgery literature: a systematic review.

Background: The primary objective of this systematic review is to examine the characteristics of pilot randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in the orthopaedic surgery literature, including the proportion framed as feasibility trials and those that lead to definitive RCTs. This review aim to answer the question of whether pilot RCTs lead to definitive RCTs, whilst investigating the quality, feasibility and overall publication trends of orthopaedic pilot trials.

Methods: Pilot RCTs in the orthopaedic literature were identified from three electronic databases (EMBASE, MEDLINE, and Pubmed) searched from database inception to January 2018.