ASIF name change

At the recent AGM, members voted to change the name of ASIF to:

Axial Spondyloarthritis International Federation. 

Why? Because MRI can detect our disease much earlier than x-rays can, leading to people being diagnosed with Non-radiographic axial Spondyloarthritis, or nr AxSpA. Nr AxSpA has all the features of Ankylosing Spondylitis except for radiographic confirmation of sacroiliitis. We wish to serve everyone with Axial Spondyloarthritis, not just those with radiographic Axial Spondyloarthritis (ie Ankylosing Spondylitis).

The term axial Spondyloarthritis has been in use for over 30 years and in 2005 the Assessment of Spondyloarthritis International Society (ASAS) started using new classification criteria which used only the terms non-radiographic axial Spondyloarthritis and radiographic Axial Spondyloarthritis. It has taken years for the terms to be used in clinical practice, but increasingly people are being diagnosed with Axial Spondyloarthritis rather than Ankylosing Spondylitis.

ASIF is proud of showing leadership in embracing all patients with either form of Axial Spondyloarthritis.

This infographic explains the different terms:
download here

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