Ankylosing spondylitis is a form of joint inflammation (arthritis) that
is long-lasting (chronic) and most often affects the spine. Ankylosing
spondylitis commonly causes pain and stiffness, with swelling and limited
motion in the low back, middle back, neck, hips, chest wall, and heels. Over
time, joints in the spine can fuse together and cause a fixed, bent-forward
posture.
In early ankylosing spondylitis, there is inflammation of
the joints and of the ligaments where they attach near the joints.
In advanced ankylosing spondylitis, there is:
Fusion of joints in the
spine.
Flattening of the normal curve in the low
back.
Often a flattening of the normal curve of the neck, an
increase in the forward curve of the upper back, and bent posture at the
hips.
Other joints can become painful and stiff, including those in
the shoulders, wrists, hands, knees, ankles, and feet.
Although it
is unusual, ankylosing spondylitis can also cause changes such as thickening of
the major artery (aorta) and the valve in the heart called the aortic valve.
Scarring of the lungs also happens in rare cases. The kidneys and the digestive
tract can also be affected.
ByHealthwise Staff Primary Medical ReviewerE. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine Martin J. Gabica, MD - Family Medicine Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine Specialist Medical ReviewerRicha Dhawan, MD - Rheumatology
Medical Review:
E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine & Martin J. Gabica, MD - Family Medicine & Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine & Richa Dhawan, MD - Rheumatology
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