Renate HÄFNER from the hospital for children and young people with rheumatic diseases in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, gives a review on arthritis and spondylitis in children. She describes the special forms of the disease at young ages and the special forms of therapy including aids for children going to school, and school education offered for those staying for a longer time in the hospital.

Leonore UNGER, hospital physician in Dresden (East Germany) gave – at the occasion of the 10th anniversary of DVMB’s federal section in Saxony – a lecture on the physiotherapeutic possibilities in AS therapy. 

The article is complemented by an article by Todor KRAEV, a Bulgarian doctor presently working in Senftenberg, Austria, who contributed his experiences with the postisometric relaxation in AS.

In January 2002, an international workshop on new treatment strategies in ankylosing spondylitis took place in Berlin, organised by Jochen SIEPER and Jürgen BRAUN. I belonged to the 40 scientists from 14 nations who were invited to participate. Asim KHAN gave an excellent presentation of his view as patient and researcher. Besides the treatment by exercises, radon inhalation and conventional medication, the new treatment by TNF-alpha inhibition was extensively discussed.

Since 1993, about every 2nd year a DVMB research prize is awarded “for the best paper in the German language in the field of AS”. In February 2002, all 5 previous winners of this prize were invited by Heinz-Jürgen LAKOMEK to present their recent research as part of a symposium that took place in Minden. My report summarises the essentials of these lectures.

We are again in the position to publish some reports on patients’ experiences: Wolfgang KRAUS, a German AS patient living in Belgium, illustrates his exercises carried out every morning in his garden where he uses tree branches, window ledges and door frames and his omnipresent gym-stick for stretching. 

In another direction are the experiences of Bettina KÖNIG who reports her odyssey searching for a correct diagnosis and treatment. Especially the advice by an arrogant psychologist has caused her to write this report. 

Anne LANGHIRT was diagnosed by magnetic-resonance imaging in 1996 to have AS. As a physiotherapist in a university hospital she knew what this means. She also knew that the neuro-cognitive therapy offered by Dr. WÜST in Munich is the only treatment at present where some AS patients’ disease has ceased. She is now without any symptoms for the last 5 years.

Niels VOUS, a Danish AS patient, recommends a convex rear-view mirror and automatic gears for AS patients driving a car. The report has been translated from „Morbus Bechterew Bladet“, the newsletter of our Danish sister society.

For the year 2001, I have again summarised 81 articles on ankylosing spondylitis relevant for patients that have appeared in scientific journals during the year. I regularly observe 15 rheumatology journals available in a large scientific library and have accumulated more than 1200 references stored in my personal computer, most of them with my personal remarks on the contents.

Three books or booklets are reviewed in this  issue: A book by Pete EGOSCUE on his system of exercises “for a life without pain”; a new issue in the DVMB booklet series comprising articles on age and gender specific items associated with ankylosing spondylitis; and a booklet by Monika ØSTENSEN on AS and pregnancy.

DVMB News:
An Ukrainian engineer and AS patient now living in Germany has translated our guidebook for AS patients into the Russian language. We distribute this translation to people speaking Russian and hope that we find a publisher who will make it available to a larger readership.