In the first article of this issue, Dr. Dietmar WIELGOSCH explains the different methods of artificial respiration in connection with an anaesthesia, and mentions what a spondyloarthritis patient should know about it. In the case of limited neck mobility, a fiber-optic bronchoscope (not only a laryngoscope) can be necessary for intubation and can save the life of the patient.

Professor W. A. GRUNEWALD in his article on radon balneotherapy explains the advantages of a combination with carbonic water as practised in the spa of Sibyllenbad near the Bavarian boarder to Czechia: In this method it is not necessary to speed up the gas transfer through the skin by a high water temperature. Thus also spondyloarthritis patients with hyperaemia can profit from radon balneotherapy without the strain on the circulatory system usually associated with this therapy.

A short article written by Dr. Herbert KAPLAN (Denver, Colorado) on undifferentiated spondyloarthropathies has been translated from "Spondylitis Plus", the newsletter of the US-American AS society. Dr. Kaplan mentions that this disease is one of the most common within the group of inflammatory spine diseases, that it is widely unknown and that therefore many patients suffering from this disease are misdiagnosed and are thus treated inappropriately. The cartoon added to this article has been taken from an early issue of the newsletter from our Austrian sister society.

Dr. W. J. SPITZER from the University in Homburg/Saar describes in his article on the temporomandibular joint in inflammatory rheumatic diseases some severe complications seen in patients with ankylosing spondylitis and related diseases. He describes the possible therapies and emphasises that an early diagnosis of such a complication is essential to prevent severe consequences. The article is a revised version of an article originally published in the German "Rheuma-Journal".

Also reprinted from "Rheuma-Journal" is an article by Dr. K.-P. STOCK on the origin and meaning of different joint noises often experienced also by spondyloarthritis sufferers. The character of the noise decides whether the noise is harmless or indicates a harmful (inflammatory or degenerative) process.

Professor Wolfgang MÜLLER and Wilhelm LORENZEN describe the "Triflexometer" invented by W. Lorenzen which makes possible a fast and accurate measurement of the shape and mobility of the spine. A sensor (similar to a computer mouse) containing a gravity plumb (for measuring flexion and extension) or a magnetic flux meter (for measuring the head rotation) is connected with a computer the software of which computes contour lines and angle differences. We hope very much that such an instrument is available soon at least in hospitals for rheumatic diseases.

Dr. Knut BÄR from the University of Erlangen describes for us the use of acoustic shock waves in the therapy not only of gallstones and kidney stones but meanwhile also of bonal deformities like pseudarthroses or calcaneal spurs and other enthesopathy results often seen in spondyloarthritis patients.

DVMB News:
A large number of DVMB week-end seminars are announced in this issue:

• A "wellness week-end" for most severely affected patients,
• the 33rd to 35th seminar for newly diagnosed patients and their partners,
• another seminar on AS and sports
• a seminar on "golf as AS therapy",
• another seminar on therapeutic fasting,
• a seminar on diet and cooking for AS sufferers, and
• another seminar exclusively for female AS sufferers.

The fifth edition of our guidebook for patients has been printed (the third one edited by a publisher who sells it also to book shops). In this edition, the results of our survey are regarded, for instance the fact that AS is nearly as frequent in females as in males.