ArticleArchives of rheumatology2026
Comparison of Neck Muscle Thickness via Ultrasound in Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis and Healthy Controls.
Article in Archives of rheumatology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
BACKGROUND/
aimsNeck pain and limited neck mobility are common symptoms in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). This study aimed to quantify neck muscle thickness in individuals with AS using ultrasonography and to compare these findings with measurements obtained from healthy volunteers. MATERIALS AND
methodsA total of 30 individuals diagnosed with AS and 30 healthy participants were enrolled in this case-control study. The anteroposterior dimension, lateral dimension, cross-sectional area (CSA) of the longus colli (LC), cervical multifidus (CM), and anteroposterior dimension of the sternocleidomastoid were measured via ultrasound. Individuals diagnosed with AS were asked to complete the Neck Disability Index (NDI), the Ankylosing Spondylitis Quality of Life questionnaire (ASQoL), the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Activity Index (BASDAI), the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI), and the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Metrology Index (BASMI).
resultsIn the AS group, the anteroposterior thickness (P = .025) and CSA (P = .021) of the right LC were markedly reduced compared with the control group. Similarly, the left LC exhibited significantly smaller anteroposterior measurements (P = .023) and CSA values (P = .012) in patients with AS. Additionally, the lateral dimension of the CM was significantly decreased on both the right (P = .001) and left (P = .002) sides relative to healthy controls. In patients with AS, LC thickness correlated negatively with NDI, ASQoL, BASDAI, BASFI, and BASMI, and positively with cervical extension and lateral flexion. In multivariate regression analyses adjusted for age and body mass index, LC thickness was independently associated with disability, functional impairment, and spinal mobility limitation.
conclusionNeck muscle thickness is reduced in AS patients, and atrophy of the LC shows significant correlations with greater disability, poorer quality of life, higher disease activity, impaired functional status, and limited spinal mobility. Cite this article as: Karacif D, Karacif O, Cagliyan Turk A. Comparison of neck muscle thickness via ultrasound in patients with ankylosing spondylitis and healthy controls. ArchRheumatol. 2026;41(3):212-222.
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.