Rheumatoid Arthritis of the Cervical Spine

Abstract

A radiologicai study of cervical changes in 333 patients with probable, definite or classical rheumatoid arthritis is reported. Degenerative changes comparable to those in the control group of 325 patients with degenerative joint disease are common. Radiological features characteristic of the rheumatoid group are atlantoaxial subluxation, serial subluxation and disk narrowing without osteophytosis. No great reliance should be placed on the level of disk change in osteophytosis. Cervical subluxation is closely related to peripheral destructive changes and joint instability and to a lesser degree with cutaneous nodules and a positive at latex test.