Clinical Rheumatology is an international journal devoted to publishing, in the English language, original clinical investigation and research in the general field of rheumatology with accent on clinical aspects at postgraduate level. Studies carried out anywhere in the world will be considered, the basic criterion for acceptance being the medical and scientific standard of the work described. Manuscripts submitted for publication are scrutinised by independent expert assessors and once accepted will be published promptly. Clinical Rheumatology succeeds Acta Rheumatologica Belgica, which was originally founded in 1945 as the official journal of the Belgian Rheumatology Society. Since the journal's international audience is concentrated in Eastern and Southern Europe, the Society has broadened the scope of the journal and adapted the editorial board and the title of the journal accordingly. Rheumatology in Europe is not restricted to inflammatory rheumatic diseases but also includes non-surgical bone diseases, in general, and rehabilitation. The aim of the editorial board is for Clinical Rheumatology to reflect the field of rheumatology in its wider aspects. Hence, Clinical Rheumatology aims to cover all modern trends in clinical and experimental research as well as the management and evaluation of diagnostic and treatment procedures connected with the inflammatory, immunologic, metabolic, genetic and degenerative soft and hard connective tissue diseases.