Spondyloarthropathy: erosive arthritis in representative defleshed bones.

Erosive changes and syndesmophyte formation, characteristics of spondyloarthropathy, were present in 79/2906 skeletons in the Todd Collection. Holistic assessment of this defined population allowed it to be distinguished from rheumatoid and other erosive forms of arthritis. Characterization of the nature and distribution of osseous alterations in a contemporary skeletal population allowed development of a standard for recognition of the disease in skeletal populations.