Impact of associated DMARD treatment and NSAIDs on thoracic and abdominal mobility in patients with ankylosing spondylitis

Departamentul Medicină Internă, IP USMF Nicolae TestemiţanuIn patients with ankylosing spondilitis (AS), the mobility of the rib cage can be considerably decreased because of the involvement of the facet and the costochondral joints. The purpose of our study is to assess the relationship between thoracoabdominal motion during quiet breathing and standardised indices of disease activity in patients with AS; also to evaluate if thoracoabdominal motion improves after the institution DMARD treatment in these patients. This variable could be a aproppriate target for apreciating the potential utility in monitoring the involvement of the thoracic spine and response to treatment in patients with AS