iAnkylosingSpondylitis is here!
By Irwin Lim, Rheumatologist
It was a wet long weekend, October 2010. I was searching the itunes store for apps to showcase on my ipad and lamenting the fact that there were so few useful apps for rheumatologists. I then found iSpineCare. A large download but definitely worth it. Gorgeous animation of the cervical and lumbar spine, both anatomy and pathology. This was going to be useful in my practice.
I decided that weekend that I wanted to help create a rheumatology specific app. So, I contacted the man responsible for iSpineCare, Dr John Hart of Anatomate-Apps.
Fate. He lived in Sydney, on the same side of the Harbour Bridge as me.
A number of mobile phone exchanges, a flurry of emails, help from our BJC Health team (Errol Lim, Roberto Russo & Herman Lau) and 8 months of work by the Anatomate-Apps crew. It’s here!
A special thank you to Karen Howard & Abbott pharmaceuticals for providing sponsorship to help Anatomate-Apps fund development.
This app is unique in highlighting the disease, Ankylosing Spondylitis, in an innovative and exciting way. We hope it will help generate awareness of this relatively common cause of spinal pain, a disease which is so commonly under-diagnosed & unrecognised.
iAnkylosingSpondylitis includes sections with the latest clinical, diagnostic and treatment information, with bulleted points & a voiceover.
It’s a large download at 697MB! This download is free and the free unlocked section is useful. An in-app purchase can and should be made by most, as it unlocks much more detailed content, with a whole lot of multimedia. As of August 2011, the full version is sold on the iTunes store as iAnkylosingSpondylitis Pro.
The full version contains a large medical imaging library, exercise animation library, and pdfs on history taking, physical examination, assessment tools (printable), medication information, and practice points.
There are wonderful animations highlighting both normal anatomy and the pathology involved in Ankylosing Spondylitis.
iAnkylosingSpondylitis should be really useful for rheumatologists, rheumatology nurses, medical educators, medical students, family physicians, chiropractors, osteopaths & physiotherapists. We also think that patient advocates as well as patient support groups will find it useful.
It would be wonderful if people who have Ankylosing Spondylitis find it helpful to further their understanding of their condition.
Download iAnkylosingSpondylitis on iTunes. Please tell us what you think.
Dr Irwin Lim is a rheumatologist and a director of BJC Health.
BJC Health provides a connected care multidisciplinary team philosophy to deliver positive lifestyle outcomes through a holistic approach to those with degenerative & inflammatory arthritis, tendon injury and lifestyle diseases. Our clinics are located in Parramatta, Chatswood and Brookvale. Contact us.
This blog focuses on arthritis-related diseases, healthcare in general, and our Connected Care philosophy.


































Congrats Irwin! Looks like a superb app.
Thanks Sabrina. We’re excited about it given how unique it is. Nothing like it exists for inflammatory arthritis, let alone, Ankylosing Spondylitis. It builds on all the AS You See It work.
Dear Irwin,
I am president of patient organization and I am patient myself. I am doing some social research on patients needs. I would like to tell you people with AS would love to see and use this app.
I think you did a great job!
interesting app.where can i get it?
It’s an app for your iPad or iPhone or iPod touch. You can download it on an itunes account by searching the app store. Its the only Ankylosing Spondylitis app currently.