Ankylosing spondylitis represents a relatively rare condition in which the spine ossifies (lays down bone). It typically affects young males and will initially produce pain in the sacroiliac joints.
As the spine becomes more rigid, multiple small stress fractures may develop. Gravity tends to tip the body forward, and the patient may develop a flexed forward posture.
The same process can develop in the cervical spine (neck) and result in a "chin on chest" deformity. If the deformity becomes severe, the spine may be surgically realigned, although this is a large surgical procedure with significant risk of neurological injury.
Generally, treatment for ankylosing spondylitis is conservative and the symptoms can be managed with NSAID’s and physical therapy exercises that concentrate on maintaining motion in the lumbar spine and hips.
By: Peter
F. Ullrich, Jr., MD
September 8, 1999
Updated February 28, 2001
