Abstract
Spondyloarthropathy has been recorded from the Paleocene (60 million years ago), on the basis of sacroiliac joint fusion in Barylambda faberi. During a radiological survey for tumours in dinosaurs we found a much older specimen with erosive arthritis. These Camarasaurus vertebrae found west of Bone Cabin Quarry, Utah were dated at 147 million years old. Zygapophyseal erosions were bilaterally present in four of 20 consecutive caudal vertebrae (figure) that were otherwise macro-scopically normal. Radiology showed no distortion of vertebral centra or trabecular architecture of the facets. Zygapophyseal joint erosions are caused by Spondyloarthropathy or infectious arthritis. Involvement of multiple zyagapophyseal joints and the absence of trabecular pattern distortion rule out an infectious cause. This evidence of Spondyloarthropathy identifies it as the oldest form of inflammatory arthritis.
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