Recent Advances in Imaging of the Axial Skeleton in Spondyloarthritis for Diagnosis, Assessment of Treatment Effect, and Prognostication

In the last few years, many studies have investigated the role of imaging for improved diagnosis, assessment of treatment effects, and determining prognosis in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (SpA). Recent research has primarily focused on the utility of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for improved diagnosis of patients with non-radiographic axial SpA, and in particular on the classification utility of the MRI criteria as defined by the Assessment of Spondyloarthritis International Society (ASAS). New and more sensitive methods for evaluation of MRI of the sacroiliac joints have been developed and have provided insight into effects of treatment on structural progression and the interrelationships between different lesions visualized by MRI. This review gives an overview of the recent advances in imaging of the axial skeleton in axial SpA from a clinical perspective.