From advances in targeted therapies to the integration of AI and steps towards precision medicine, 2024 brought many exciting developments in the field. With 2025 now unfolding, many of these are likely to continue gaining momentum and potentially redefine patient care.
In this latest edition of touchREVIEWS in RMD, we’re excited to present a collection of articles that highlight some of these transformative shifts. Written by leading experts in the field, these articles offer practical insights to support your clinical practice with the aim of being both informative and inspiring as you navigate the evolving landscape of rheumatic and musculoskeletal
disorders.
We begin with a commentary on the 2023 ACR/EULAR classification criteria for antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). Iftekhar et al. examine the potential impact of these criteria on the reproductive care of patients with RMDs, highlighting areas where further research is needed to optimize patient outcomes.
Jérôme Avouac then explores a more personalized approach to optimizing TNFi therapy in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). By drawing on lessons from the field of gastroenterology, and emerging evidence in RA, the article highlights how considering patient-specific factors and baseline inflammatory burden could influence patient outcomes, reduce premature therapy switching, and
make better use of the critical “window of opportunity” for effective disease control.
Continuing the theme of personalization, Kataria and Ravindran then examine digital therapy as an individualized approach to managing chronic back pain. They highlight the potential of digital health technologies to deliver tailored interventions, improving patient outcomes, particularly for those living in diverse settings with varying levels of access to healthcare.
Next, an insightful editorial from Walsh et al., who explore the clinical approach to managing patients with the increasingly common condition of immune checkpoint inhibitor-induced arthritis (ICI-IA). The authors discuss the challenges and strategies in diagnosing and treating the condition, emphasizing the importance of multidisciplinary care.
We then round up the issue with a series of review articles. In the first, Dasigan et al. examine hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD) and pain, offering a comprehensive review of recent developments and their implications for clinical practice. They discuss the aetiology, pathogenesis, and clinical implications of these disorders, providing valuable insights for healthcare professionals in recognizing and treating individuals with HSDs.
We finish with a forward-looking review by Cooray et al., who assess the blossoming field of artificial intelligence in musculoskeletal medicine. They evaluate current advancements and future directions, discussing how AI could be integrated into clinical practice to enhance patient care, as well as highlighting the challenges as clinical AI moves forward.
Together, these articles reflect the range of current research and clinical practice in RMDs. We hope this issue of touchREVIEWS in RMD serves as a valuable source of knowledge, inspiration, and guidance. If you are interested in contributing to our upcoming issues, please feel free to submit here or contact us directly.
Peter C Taylor
Peter C Taylor is Professor of Musculoskeletal Sciences at the University of Oxford and is a Fellow of St. Peter’s College. He studied pre-clinical medical sciences at Gonville and Caius College at the University of Cambridge and his first degree was in Physiology. He subsequently studied clinical medicine at the University of Oxford and was awarded a PhD degree from the University of London for research on pathogenesis of arthritis. Professor Taylor has specialist clinical interests in inflammatory arthritis, development of novel therapies and the insights that targeted therapies provide into disease pathogenesis.
