INFLAMMATORY ARTHRITIS IN PONGO

As the arboreal ape, Pongo, has an unusual ground ambulation adaptatio n, it was of interest to assess the impact of Pongo gait on patterns o f arthritis, While osteoarthritis was not identified in Pongo, 11% of individual skeletons were afflicted with an inflammatory, erosive arth ritis. The presence of sacroiliac involvement and the nature and distr ibution of erosive lesions allowed definitive diagnosis of spondyloart hropathy. Character, distribution, and radiologic appearance revealed a picture distinguishable from spondyloarthropathy in other primates.