Secukinumab and ustekinumab treatment in psoriatic arthritis: results of a direct comparison.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the characteristics of patients (pts) with PsA treated by ustekinumab (UST) or secukinumab (SEK) and to compare real-world persistence of UST and SEK in PsA. METHODS: In this retrospective, national, multicentre cohort study, pts with PsA (CASPAR criteria or diagnosis confirmed by the rheumatologist) initiating UST or SEK with a follow-up ≥6 months were included from January 2011 to April 2019. The persistence between SEK and UST was assessed after considering the potential confounding factors by using pre-specified propensity-score methods. Causes of discontinuation and tolerance were also collected. RESULTS: A total of 406 pts were included: 245 with UST and 161 with SEK. The persistence rate was lower in the UST group compared with the SEK group [median persistence 9.4 vs 14.7 months; 26.4% vs 38.0% at 2 years; weighted hazard ratio (HR) = 1.42; 95% CI: 1.07, 1.92; P =0.015]. In subgroup analysis, the persistence rate of SEK associated with MTX was significantly higher than that of UST associated with MTX: HR = 2.20; 95% CI: 1.30, 3.51; P =0.001, in contrast to SEK vs UST monotherapy: HR = 1.06; 95% CI: 0.74, 1.53; P =0.75. Discontinuation due to inefficacy was reported in 91.7% (SEK) and 82.4% (UST) of pts. Discontinuation due to an adverse event was reported in 12.2% (SEK) and 7.7% (UST) of pts. CONCLUSION: In this first study comparing UST and SEK, the persistence of SEK was higher than that of UST in PsA. In subgroup analysis, this difference was only found in association with MTX.

Safety of surgery in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated by abatacept: data from the French Orencia in Rheumatoid Arthritis Registry.

Objective: To investigate the frequency and risk factors of postoperative complications in RA patients treated with abatacept (ABA). Methods: The Orencia RA registry recruited 1012 patients receiving ABA for RA in routine care. Data from patients treated with ABA who underwent surgery were reviewed to describe the frequency of postoperative complications. Characteristics of patients and surgeries with and without complications were compared to identify factors associated with complications. Results: We identified 205 (20.3%) patients who underwent 263 surgeries, including 176 (66.9%) orthopaedic surgeries. Nineteen (7.2%) surgeries, in 19 patients (9.3%), entailed complications, including 7 delayed wound healing (2.7% of surgeries) and 6 surgical site infections (2.3% of surgeries). The median time between the last infusion of ABA and surgery was 5.9 weeks (range: 0.3-12.0 weeks), with no significant difference between patients with and without complications. The median corticosteroids daily dosage was higher in the group with complications [10.0 (6.25-15.0) vs 6.0 (5.0-10.0) mg/day, P = 0.042]. In multivariate analysis, only the duration of ABA treatment was significantly associated with postoperative complications [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 0.94 (95% CI: 0.89, 0.99) for each month of treatment], as were orthopaedic surgeries compared with other kinds of surgery [aOR = 4.45 (95% CI: 1.01, 20.2)]. Conclusion: In RA patients treated with ABA, the rate of surgical complications was low: 7.2% and higher in case of orthopaedic procedure and a more recent initiation of ABA. The median time between surgery and the last infusion of ABA was short and did not influence the rate of postoperative complications.

MRI and serum biomarkers correlate with radiographic features in painful hand osteoarthritis.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the relationship between clinical findings, biologic biomarkers, conventional radiography and MRI in patients with painful hand OA. METHODS: The following patient baseline data from the DORA study (evaluating anti-TNF-α agents against painful hand OA) were used: clinical assessment (pain, swelling, stiffness and function: Dreiser functional hand index [FIHOA] and Cochin hand functional scale [CHFS]); measurement of biomarkers (cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP), type IIA collagen N-propeptid (PIINP), hyaluronic acid (HA), ultrasensitive C-reactive protein (usCRP), tumour necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1ß and urinary CTXII); radiological staging (Verbruggen, Kallman, Kellgren-Lawrence); anatomical evaluation by contrast-enhanced MRI of proximal and distal interphalangeal joints of dominant hand. Associations between clinical, biomarker and imaging findings were assessed using the Spearman correlation coefficient and test. RESULTS: 18 patients were recruited, and 144 joints studied. A correlation was found between clinical features (pain, FIHOA, CHFS) and the Verbruggen score (respectively: p=0.05, r=0.47; p=0.05, r=0.48; p=0.05, r=0.48). Serum IL-1 level was strongly associated with loss of function (FIHOA: p=0.02, r=-0.73; CHFS: p=0.01, r=-0.76) and radiological erosions (p=0.03, r=0.7) as with urinary CTX2. A significant association was found between MRI osteophytes and usCRP (p=0.0026). MRI and radiological features were significantly correlated except for synovitis and bone marrow lesions. CONCLUSIONS: MRI synovitis was not correlated with radiological scores, clinical or biologic markers of inflammation. There was a strong correlation between other MRI features and radiological scores. Serum IL-1 level was associated with structural damage and function.

Emergence of Q fever arthritis in France.

Osteoarticular infection is an uncommon presentation of Q fever. Positron emission tomography (PET) scanning is a valuable tool for the diagnosis of Coxiella burnetii graft prosthesis infection and endocarditis. Our objective was to test a series of culture-negative osteoarticular samples using molecular assays for Coxiella burnetii. We tested for C. burnetii by molecular assays targeting the IS1111 and the IS30A spacer regions, using culture-negative osteoarticular samples obtained in our laboratory between January 2011 and December 2012. We examine a total of 1,410 osteoarticular samples, and we observed two cases of arthritis and subacromial bursitis caused by C. burnetii. The infections were localized using PET scanning, and the diagnosis was confirmed through serology. For one, a C. burnetii strain with a multispacer sequence type 8 genotype was isolated from synovial fluid culture. Q fever articular infections could be undiagnosed because of the long evolution of articular attack, and patients with high antibody titers against C. burnetii should be tested using PET scanning to localize the site of infection.

Emergence of autochthonous infections with hepatitis E virus of genotype 4 in Europe.

In Europe, autochthonous hepatitis E is caused by genotype 3 hepatitis E virus (HEV) in almost all cases. A total of 15 infections with genotype 4 HEV were diagnosed in France from May 2009 to April 2012, and all but one of the HEV-4 strains implicated in these infections were genetically related and highly similar to HEV-4 sequences isolated from swine in Belgium. In addition, 5 autochthonous HEV-4 infections have been described in the region of Lazio, Italy, during March and April 2011, and these HEV sequences were 100% identical to one another but showed relatively low similarity (74-85%) to HEV-4 RNA samples collected in France. We report 6 additional HEV-4 infections that were diagnosed from May to July 2012 which represented 50% of the HEV infections diagnosed during this period in our clinical microbiology laboratory. Five of these HEV-4 strains were associated with autochthonous infections and were clustered together and with the majority of HEV-4 previously described in France, whereas the sixth strain was genetically divergent. Taken together with reports from other teams, these observations indicate that autochthonous infections with HEV-4 are emerging in Europe and have been transmitted by at least two distinct sources.

NSAID: Current limits to prescription.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are commonly prescribed to alleviate pain and inflammation in conditions like arthritis, migraines, and post-operative recovery. Their mechanism involves inhibiting prostaglandins that contribute to inflammation. NSAIDs are categorized based on their structure, selectivity for COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes, and plasma half-life. They are effective in treating osteoarthritis, spondyloarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis but might carry an elevated risk of adverse events. Despite their effectiveness, NSAIDs have limitations and risks that warrant cautious consideration. Extensive research has investigated their side effects, and this review aims to examine the current limitations of oral NSAID therapy, including safety profiles, specific scenarios where their use may not be appropriate, and gaps in knowledge. By critically evaluating these aspects, healthcare practitioners can make informed decisions about prescribing NSAIDs, optimizing patient outcomes while minimizing potential risks. This narrative review summarizes existing knowledge and underscores the importance of risk-benefit assessments in NSAID prescribing. Ultimately, the goal is to enhance the rational use of NSAIDs, maximizing benefits while mitigating adverse effects.

Bisphosphonate treatment in inaccessible osteoid osteomas: An alternative therapeutic approach.

INTRODUCTION: Osteoid osteoma is a benign osteogenic tumour traditionally treated by surgical excision or percutaneous CT-guided procedures. We describe three cases of osteoid osteomas of which the locations were difficult to access, or for which the procedure was potentially unsafe, involving treatment with zoledronic acid infusions. CASE DESCRIPTION: We report here three male 28-to-31-year-old patients with no medical history who had osteoid osteomas located at the second cervical vertebra, the femoral head, and the third lumbar vertebra respectively. These lesions were responsible for inflammatory pain requiring daily treatment with acetylsalicylic acid. Given the impairment risk, all of the lesions were ineligible for surgical or percutaneous treatment. Patients were successfully treated by 3 to 6 monthly zoledronic acid infusions. All patients experienced complete relief of their symptoms allowing aspirin discontinuation, without any side effects. In the first two cases, CT and MRI control showed nidus mineralization and bone marrow oedema regression, correlating with the pain decrease. After 5years of follow-up, there had been no recurrence of the symptoms. CONCLUSION: In these patients, monthly 4mg zoledronic acid infusions have been safe and effective in the treatment of inaccessible osteoid osteomas.

Musculoskeletal immune-related adverse events in 927 patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors for solid cancer.

OBJECTIVE: The prevalence of the musculoskeletal immune-related adverse events (irAEs) is probably underestimated, as most studies report only severe side effects. Our aim was to describe and characterize all musculoskeletal irAEs in a large cohort of patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study among patients who received ICI from 07/27/2014 to 05/08/2020 at the medical oncology department of the Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Marseille, France. All medical files were systemically reviewed by a rheumatologist who collected clinical features, time of occurrence, treatment regimen, irAEs management, course and outcomes. We also assessed tumor response 3 months after introduction of ICI, according to severity and treatments used to manage musculoskeletal irAEs. RESULTS: Among 927 patients treated with ICI for a solid tumor, 118 patients (12.7%) presented a musculoskeletal irAE. Their median age was 66.5, 61% were male, and they mainly had a lung (57.6%) or urological cancer (27.1%). The most frequently involved ICI was an anti PD-1. Arthralgias and myalgias were the most frequent musculoskeletal irAEs (9.8%) and inflammatory rheumatic features were reported in 36 patients (3.9%) with elevated acute phase reactants and negative immunological markers. The median time of onset was 2 months (IC 95% 1.8; 2.7). Tumor response at 3 months did not differ according to musculoskeletal irAE severity, type of manifestation (arthralgias/myalgias versus inflammatory rheumatic features), pain patterns (mechanical versus inflammatory) or irAE treatments. CONCLUSION: Musculoskeletal irAEs in this large cohort of patients treated with ICI were frequent (12.7%), mostly mild and well tolerated.

Anti-Jo-1 autoantibodies: biomarkers of severity and evolution of the disease in antisynthetase syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Anti-Jo-1 autoantibodies represent essential markers in the diagnosis of antisynthetase syndrome (ASS). In this retrospective study, we aimed to investigate whether their concentrations and fluctuations could both respectively reflect the severity and evolution of ASS. METHODS: Between 2015 and 2020, clinical and biological features of ASS patients with at least one positive measure of anti-Jo-1 autoantibody were collected. At each serum sampling, we assessed myositis activity by using the Myositis Intention to Treat Activities Index (MITAX) and compared anti-Jo-1 concentrations with ASS severity, anti-Jo-1 concentrations between patients with and without active disease, and changes in anti-Jo-1 concentrations with disease activity. RESULTS: Forty-eight patients with ASS had at least one positive determination of anti-Jo-1 concentration. Among them, twenty-nine patients had at least two determinations of anti-Jo-1 autoantibody in their follow-up. We showed that these autoantibody concentrations were significantly correlated with MITAX (r = 0.4, p = 0.03) and creatine kinase concentration (r = 0.34, p = 0.002) and that they were significantly higher in patients with active disease than in those with inactive disease (91.7 IU/L vs 44.4 IU/L, p = 0.016). During follow-up, we found a significant correlation between fluctuations of anti-Jo-1 autoantibody concentrations and MITAX score (r = 0.7, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that anti-Jo-1 autoantibody concentration could be a predictive marker of the severity and evolution of ASS and show that their quantification could represent a precious tool for disease monitoring and for improving the therapeutic management of ASS patients.

Efficacy and safety of combination targeted therapies in immune-mediated inflammatory disease: the COMBIO study.

BACKGROUND: Use of a combination of targeted therapies (COMBIO) in patients with refractory/overlapping immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) has increased, but reported data remain scarce. We aimed to assess effectiveness and safety of COMBIO in patients with IMIDs. METHODS: We conducted a French ambispective multicenter cohort study from September 2020 to May 2021, including adults' patients with 1 or 2 IMIDs and treated at least 3-month with COMBIO. RESULTS: Overall, 143 patients were included. The most common IMIDs were Crohn's disease (63.6%), axial spondyloarthritis (37.7%), and ulcerative colitis (14%). Half of patients had only one IMID, of which 60% were Crohn's disease. Mean duration of COMBIO was 274.5±59.3 weeks, and COMBIO persistence at 104 weeks was estimated at 64.1%. The most frequent COMBIOs combined anti-TNF agents with vedolizumab (30%) or ustekinumab (28.7%). Overall, 50% of patients achieved significant and 27% mild-to-moderate improvement in patient-reported outcomes. Extended duration of COMBIO (aOR=1.09; 95% CI: 1.03-1.14; p=0.002) and diagnoses of two IMIDs (aOR=3.46; 95%CI: 1.29-9.26; p=0.013) were associated with significant improvement in patient-reported outcomes. Incidence of serious infection during COMBIO was 4.51 per 100 person-years (95% CI 2.20-8.27) and 5 COMBIOs were discontinued due to adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: COMBIO can be effective and safe in patients with refractory/overlapping IMIDs.

Biomarkers in psoriatic arthritis: A meta-analysis and systematic review.

Introduction: Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic inflammatory disease that frequently develops in patients with psoriasis (PsO) but can also occur spontaneously. As a result, PsA diagnosis and treatment is commonly delayed, or even missed outright due to the manifold of clinical presentations that patients often experience. This inevitably results in progressive articular damage to axial and peripheral joints and entheses. As such, patients with PsA frequently experience reduced expectancy and quality of life due to disability. More recently, research has aimed to improve PsA diagnosis and prognosis by identifying novel disease biomarkers. Methods: Here, we conducted a systematic review of the published literature on candidate biomarkers for PsA diagnosis and prognosis in MEDLINE(Pubmed), EMBase and the Cochrane library with the goal to identify clinically applicable PsA biomarkers. Meta-analyses were performed when a diagnostic bone and cartilage turnover biomarker was reported in 2 or moredifferent cohorts of PsA and control. Results: We identified 1444 publications and 124 studies met eligibility criteria. We highlighted bone and cartilage turnover biomarkers, genetic markers, and autoantibodies used for diagnostic purposes of PsA, as well as acute phase reactant markers and bone and cartilage turnover biomarkers for activity or prognostic severity purposes. Serum cartilage oligometrix metalloproteinase levels were significantly increased in the PsA sera compared to Healthy Control (HC) with a standardized mean difference (SMD) of 2.305 (95%CI 0.795-3.816, p=0.003) and compared to osteoarthritis (OA) with a SMD of 0.783 (95%CI 0.015-1.551, p=0.046). The pooled serum MMP-3 levels were significantly higher in PsA patients than in PsO patients with a SMD of 0.419 (95%CI 0.119-0.719; p=0.006), but no significant difference was highlighted when PsA were compared to HC. While we did not identify any new genetic biomarkers that would be useful in the diagnosis of PsA, recent data with autoantibodies appear to be promising in diagnosis, but no replication studies have been published. Conclusion: In summary, no specific diagnostic biomarkers for PsA were identified and further studies are needed to assess the performance of potential biomarkers that can distinguish PsA from OA and other chronic inflammatory diseases.

Leveraging whole blood based functional flow cytometry assays to open new perspectives for rheumatoid arthritis translational research.

Despite introduction of biological disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) for Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatment, therapeutic strategies do not always lead to disease control and remission. Hence, a more efficient patient stratification and monitoring biomarkers and tools are needed to enable a more personalized medicine. We used a whole blood based functional flow cytometry assay to characterize immune cells from RA patients (treated or not), healthy donors and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients according to their responses to LPS and/or anti-TNFα (infliximab, IFX). Activation marker expression was measured using a 10-color flow cytometry panel following a no-wash protocol. Naïve-to-treatment RA patients had a stronger inflammatory profile in comparison to healthy donors at basal level. Higher expression of activation markers (CD69 and/or CD11b) on NK, B cells and granulocytes and lower expression of the adhesion molecule CD62L were measured on monocytes, granulocytes and B cells. After LPS, naïve RA patients' cells were less capable of regulating CD69, CD11b, CD16 or CD62L showing impaired activation capabilities. Upon LPS and IFX co-incubation, hierarchical clustering analysis showed different profiles between cohorts. We believe that this whole blood-based approach should further be assessed for RA patient characterization as it provides new perspectives for stratification and/or monitoring.

Incidence of anterior uveitis in patients with axial spondyloarthritis treated with anti-TNF or anti-IL17A: a systematic review, a pairwise and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Anterior uveitis (AU) is the most frequent extra-articular feature of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). We aimed to assess and compare the incidence of AU in axSpA patients treated with anti-TNF or anti-IL17A. METHODS: We systematically reviewed PubMed, EMBase, and Cochrane from inception to May 3, 2020, and searched for placebo-controlled and head-to-head randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing anti-TNF monoclonal antibodies (mAb) or soluble receptor fusion protein or anti-IL17A in patients with axSpA according to ASAS criteria and reporting safety data on AU. Data were extracted following a predefined protocol. We did pairwise and network meta-analyses for the primary outcome of AU flares (relapse or de novo) incidence and estimated summary odds ratios (ORs). We assessed the quality of evidence using the Cochrane risk-of-bias 2.0 tool. We ranked treatments according to their effectiveness in preventing AU flare using the P-score. RESULTS: We identified 752 citations and included 33 RCTs, comprising 4544 treated patients (anti-TNF mAb 2101, etanercept [ETN] 699, anti-IL17A 1744) and 2497 placebo-receiving patients. Incidence of uveitis was lower with anti-TNF mAb versus placebo (OR = 0.46; CI 95% [0.24; 0.90]) and versus anti-IL17A (OR = 0.34; CI 95% [0.12; 0.92]. According to the P-score, the ranking from the most to the least preventive treatment of uveitis flare was as follows: anti-TNF mAb, ETN, placebo, and anti-IL17A. CONCLUSION: In RCTs assessing anti-TNF and anti-IL17A in axSpA, incident uveitis are rare events. However, this network meta-analysis demonstrates that anti-TNF mAb are associated with a lower incidence of uveitis compared to placebo and anti-IL17A.

In Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients, HLA-DRB1*04:01 and Rheumatoid Nodules Are Associated With ACPA to a Particular Fibrin Epitope.

Objectives: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with HLA-DRB1 genes encoding the shared epitope (SE), a 5-amino acid motive. RA is usually preceded by the emergence of anti-citrullinated protein/peptide antibodies (ACPAs). Citrulline is a neutral amino acid resulting from post-translational modification of arginine involved in peptidic bounds (arginyl residue) by PeptidylArginine Deiminases (PADs). ACPAs recognize epitopes from citrullinated human fibrin(ogen) (hFib) and can be specifically detected by the AhFibA assay. Five citrullinated peptides derived from hFib together represent almost all of the epitopes recognized by patients with ACPA-positive RA, namely: α36-50cit, α171-185cit, α501-515cit, α621-635cit, and ß60-74cit. The use of antibody fine specificities as markers of clinical phenotypes has become a major challenge. Our objective was to study whether RA clinical characteristics and HLA-DRB1 genetic background were associated with a specific reactivity against the epitopes borne by the five peptides. Methods: 184 ACPA-positive RA patients fulfilling the 2010 ACR/EULAR criteria were studied. Patient characteristics including HLA-DRB1 genotype, were collected from their medical files. Anti-CCP2 antibodies, AhFibA, and antibodies against the five citrullinated hFib (hFib-cit) peptides were analyzed by ELISA. Results: Anti-α505-515cit antibodies were associated with HLA-DRB1*04:01 (OR = 5.52 [2.00 - 13.64]; p = 0.0003). High level anti-α505-515cit antibodies were associated with rheumatoid nodules (OR = 2.71 [1.00 - 7.16], p= 0.044). Conclusion: Immune complexes containing anti-α501-515cit antibodies and rheumatoid factors might be involved in the development of rheumatoid nodules on the HLA-DRB1*04:01 background. Apheresis of these epitope-specific antibodies might be a new therapeutic opportunity for patients with rheumatoid nodules.

Peptidylarginine Deiminase Autoimmunity and the Development of Anti-Citrullinated Protein Antibody in Rheumatoid Arthritis: The Hapten-Carrier Model.

OBJECTIVE: The presence of autoantibodies to citrullinated proteins (ACPAs) often precedes the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Citrullines are arginine residues that have been modified by peptidylarginine deiminases (PADs). PAD4 is the target of autoantibodies in RA. ACPAs could arise because PAD4 is recognized by T cells, which facilitate the production of autoantibodies to proteins bound by PAD4. We previously found evidence for this hapten-carrier model in mice. This study was undertaken to investigate whether there is evidence for this model in humans. METHODS: We analyzed antibody response to PAD4 and T cell proliferation in response to PAD4 in 41 RA patients and 36 controls. We tested binding of 65 PAD4 peptides to 5 HLA-DR alleles (DRB1*04:01, *04:02, *04:04, *01:01, and *07:01) and selected 11 PAD4 peptides for proliferation studies using samples from 22 RA patients and 27 controls. Peripheral blood lymphocytes from an additional 10 RA patients and 7 healthy controls were analyzed by flow cytometry for CD3, CD4, CD154, and tumor necrosis factor expression after PAD4 stimulation. RESULTS: Only patients with RA had both antibodies and T cell responses to PAD4. T cell response to peptide 8, a PAD4 peptide, was associated with RA (P = 0.02), anti-PAD4 antibodies (P = 0.057), and the shared epitope (P = 0.05). CONCLUSION: ACPA immunity is associated with antibodies to PAD4 and T cell responses to PAD4 and PAD4 peptides. These findings are consistent with a hapten-carrier model in which PAD4 is the carrier and citrullinated proteins are the haptens.

Are Ultrasound Findings Similar in Patients with Axial Spondyloarthritis and in Athlete Entheses?

OBJECTIVE: Enthesitis is the spondyloarthritis (SpA) landmark, but can also be seen after entheses overuse, such as during intensive sport. METHODS: We aimed to compare entheses ultrasound (US) findings in a prospective cross-sectional study of 30 axial SpA cases, 30 athletes, and 29 controls. RESULTS: Mean (SD) MAdrid Sonographic Enthesis Index (MASEI) score was 26.3 (13), 12.2 (7), and 10.4 (6) in patients with SpA, athletes, and non-athlete control groups, respectively (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: The MASEI score was significantly higher in patients with SpA compared with healthy controls, athletes, and non-athletes, and can be of value to distinguish SpA from healthy subjects, whatever their physical activity.

Coexistence of intravertebral vacuum and intradiscal vacuum.

INTRODUCTION: The pathophysiology of intravertebral vacuum (IVV) remains unclear, although vertebral osteonecrosis is often incriminated. Gas may migrate from the disk to the vertebral body. The objective of this study was to investigate the relations between IVV and intradiscal vacuum (IDV). METHODS: We prospectively evaluated the presence of radiological findings suggestive of IVV in patients admitted to a rheumatology department for vertebral fracture, over a 6-year period. Suggestive radiological findings were defined as a radiolucent collection within a vertebral body, an increase in the anteroposterior diameter of the vertebral body, and/or evidence of horizontal dissection of a vertebral body. Patients with any of these findings underwent computed tomography; when this investigation showed IVV, the adjacent disks were examined for IDV, and when this was found a communication between the two cavities was looked for. RESULTS: Of 278 patients admitted for vertebral fracture during the study period, 15 had IVV. IDV adjacent to the fractured endplate was visible in 13 of these 15 patients. All 15 patients had severe fractures (Genant semi-quantitative classification, grade 3 in 10 patients and grade 2 in five patients). A communication between the intradiscal and intravertebral collections was seen in five patients. Only two patients had evidence of IVV on plain radiographs. CONCLUSION: Our findings support migration of gas from the disk to a fracture in the adjacent vertebral body. The term "vertebral osteonecrosis" used to designate IVV may be inappropriate. IVV is rarely shown by plain radiographs, indicating a need for other morphological criteria.

[Osteonecrosis of the femoral head]. / Ostéonécrose aseptique de la tête fémorale.

Avascular necrosis (AVN) most commonly affects the femoral head, but not exclusively. Besides post-traumatic avascular necrosis of the femoral head, other sites should also be screened, especially the other hip, the shoulders and the knees. AVN of the femoral head should systematically be considered in anyone suffering from hip pain with normal X-ray. The most useful complementary examinations are standard X-ray examination, to assess the stage of disease progression, and MRI, to establish the diagnosis when X-ray shows no abnormality and assess the prognosis. The spontaneous progression mainly depends on the lesion size and the amount of affected weight-bearing surface. Differentiating AVN from algodystrophy and especially stress fracture of the femoral head may be difficult, even with MRI. An etiology may be found in approximately _ of the cases. Medical treatment still exclusively addresses symptoms. Surgical treatment essentially consists of core decompression of the femoral head, the efficiency of which is still debated, and total hip arthroplasty, but new therapeutic options are likely to be developed. Above all, indications depend on the age, the stage of disease progression (prior to or following the subchondral fracture) and prognosis (lesion size and site on the MRI).