ANKYLOSING-SPONDYLITIS - THE CORRELATION BETWEEN A NEW METROLOGY SCORE AND RADIOLOGY

The objective was to compare the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Metrology Index (BASMI) with radiology as a measure of disease outcome. Fifty-t hree patients, covering the entire spectrum of disease severity, were blindly and independently assessed using the BASMI (total of five stan dardized measurements, scoring range 0-10) and a radiology score of th e four main spinal areas affected by ankylosing spondylitis (AS). BASM I correlates positively with the total radiology score (r = 0.74), whi le the individual BASMI scores for cervical rotation (r = 0.59), wall to tragus (r = 0.61), lumbar side flexion (r = 0.56), lumbar flexion ( r = 0.68) and intermalleolar distance (r = 0.50) correlate positively with their respective radiology scores. BASMI and radiology do not rel ate well to each other as BASMI takes account of normal physical limit ation and soft tissue involvement. In addition, although radiology sco res are termed a 'gold standard', they are unreliable. Therefore, BASM I may be judged to be more important in assessing AS and become a 'gol d standard' itself.