Ankylosing Spondylitis... what is it?

Ankylosing Spondylitis is an inflammatory disease of the spine that can cause the vertebrae of the spine to fuse together. This fusing makes the spine less flexible and can result in a hunched-forward posture. See diagram 1.

Symptoms:                                                                   Diagram 1.

Symptoms can begin in early adulthood. Ankylosing spondylitis affects about 0.1% to 0.5% of the adult population. Although it can occur at any age, spondylitis most often strikes men in their teens and 20s. It is less common and generally milder in women and more common in some Native American tribes.

The most common early symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis include:

·         Pain and stiffness. Constant pain and stiffness in the low back, buttocks, and hips that continue for more than three months. Spondylitis often starts around the sacroiliac joints, where the sacrum (the lowest major part of the spine) joins the ilium bone of the pelvis in the lower back region.

·         Bony fusion. Ankylosing spondylitis can cause an overgrowth of the bones, which may lead to abnormal joining of bones, called "bony fusion." Fusion affecting bones of the neck, back, or hips may impair a person's ability to perform routine activities. Fusion of the ribs to the spine or breastbone may limit a person's ability to expand his or her chest when taking a deep breath.

·         Pain in ligaments and tendons. Spondylitis also may affect some of the ligaments and tendons that attach to bones. Tendonitis (inflammation of the tendon) may cause pain and stiffness in the area behind or beneath the heel, such as the Achilles tendon at the back of the ankle. Enthesitis is the "infection of the enthesis, in which the joint capsules, tendons or ligaments link to the bones." This inflammation can result in severe discomfort and pain.

             Diagram 2.

              

 Inflammation. Because AS affects the spine it can affect the entire body. Diagram 2 displays this.

more to come....