What Is Ankylosing Spondylitis ?.

What Is Ankylosing Spondylitis ?.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/ankylosing-spondyl...es/Introduction.aspx

Introduction:
www.nhs.uk/conditions/ankylosing-spondyl...es/Introduction.aspx

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a type of chronic (long-term) arthritis that affects the bones, muscles and ligaments of the spine.

Anyone can develop ankylosing spondylitis at any time, although it is five times more common in men than it is in women.

It usually occurs between 15 and 35 years of age.

The spine: www.nhs.uk/conditions/ankylosing-spondyl...es/Introduction.aspx

The spine consists of a column of interlocking bones called vertebrae that run from the coccyx (tailbone) to the top of the neck, where it joins the skull.

There are flexible 'discs' of tissue between each vertebral body, which help to cushion the load that is carried by the spine.

The vertebrae are supported by muscles and ligaments (tissue that connect bones) and help to control the movements (flexion and rotation) of the spine.

The surrounding tissues help to strengthen the spine and hold it in place.

The bones behind each vertebral body form a protective 'canal' for the spinal cord.

They also make joints above and below the vertebra, allowing the spine to bend and twist.

Behind the spinal canal there are vertebral spines, which can be felt as a series of bumps along the spinal column.

The spine carries the weight of the head, arms, chest, and abdomen.

The sacroiliac joints connect the spine to the pelvis.

The purpose of the sacroiliac joints is to transmit the weight of the upper body to the pelvis.

How does ankylosing spondylitis occur?: www.nhs.uk/conditions/ankylosing-spondyl...es/Introduction.aspx

In ankylosing spondylitis, the spinal joints and ligaments and the sacroiliac joints become inflamed.

Inflammation in the spine can cause pain and stiffness in the neck and back.

Sacroiliitis (inflammation of the sacroiliac joints) causes pain in the lower back and buttocks.

If not treated over many years, the inflammation causes the neck and back to become rigid.

This process is called ankylosis.

In some people who have severe, long-standing ankylosis, their rib cage (chest) can also become stiff and inflexible.

Ankylosing spondylitis can also lead to arthritis developing in the large joints, such as the hips and knees.<br><br>Post edited by: Scott_1984, at: 2010/05/26 11:11

What Is Ankylosing Spondylitis ?. www.bbc.co.uk/health/physical_health/con...ns/ankylosing1.shtml


What causes it?: www.bbc.co.uk/health/physical_health/con...ns/ankylosing1.shtml

No one knows precisely what causes AS, although some people with the condition have an inherited blood type that makes them more likely to be affected.

Tendons or ligaments attached to the spine become swollen. When this subsides, new bone grows that replaces tendons and ligaments. If the continues, the vertebrae (spinal bones) fuse.

What are the symptoms?: www.bbc.co.uk/health/physical_health/con...ns/ankylosing1.shtml

AS may cause lower back pain that can spread and be felt in the buttocks and thighs, lower back stiffness. Other symptoms include tiredness, weight loss and a mild fever.

The pain and stiffness are usually worse early in the morning and after resting, but improve with exercise as the day progresses.

Because the spine loses its normal shape, people may find their back becomes bent forwards. This can make walking and moving around painful and difficult.

What Is Ankylosing Spondylitis ?. www.arthritisresearchuk.org/arthritis_in...ing_spondylitis.aspx

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is an inflammatory condition that affects the joints of the spine. Spondylitis simply means inflammation of the spine.

As the inflammation dies down, new bone forms replacing the more flexible tendons and ligaments between the vertebrae. Eventually the individual bones of the spine may link up (fuse) resulting in stiffening of the spine (ankylosis).

Ankylosing Spondylitis Symptoms: www.arthritisresearchuk.org/arthritis_in...ing_spondylitis.aspx

In the early stages, ankylosing spondylitis is likely to cause low backache and stiffness, and pain in the buttocks and sometimes the backs of the thighs (like sciatica).

What Is Ankylosing Spondylitis ?. hcd2.bupa.co.uk/fact_sheets/html/ankylosing_spondylitis.html


Published by Bupa's health information team, November 2009: hcd2.bupa.co.uk/fact_sheets/html/ankylosing_spondylitis.html

This factsheet is for people with ankylosing spondylitis, or who would like information about it: hcd2.bupa.co.uk/fact_sheets/html/ankylosing_spondylitis.html


Ankylosing spondylitis is a type of arthritis that mainly affects the spine, especially the lower back, but can also affect the joints. It causes stiffness and reduced movement and some of the bones of the spine may eventually fuse together: hcd2.bupa.co.uk/fact_sheets/html/ankylosing_spondylitis.html

About Ankylosing Spondylitis: hcd2.bupa.co.uk/fact_sheets/html/ankylosing_spondylitis.html

Ankylosing means fusing together and spondylitis means inflammation of the bones of the spine (vertebrae). If you have ankylosing spondylitis, the bones in your spine become inflamed at the part where they attach to the tendons, and also at the joints between the bones. Your body then tries to mend the damage by producing new bone. As new bone grows, it can eventually cause them to fuse together.

Although it usually starts in the spine, ankylosing spondylitis can affect any of your joints, especially your knees, hips, ankles and shoulders.

You can develop ankylosing spondylitis at any time, but it usually starts between the ages of 15 and 35, with the average age being 24. About one in 200 men and one in 500 women in the UK have the condition.

What Is Ankylosing Spondylitis ?. www.patient.co.uk/health/Ankylosing-Spondylitis.htm


Ankylosing Spondylitis: www.patient.co.uk/health/Ankylosing-Spondylitis.htm

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a form of arthritis. It mainly affects the lower back.

Other joints and other parts of the body are sometimes affected.

Treatment includes regular exercise and anti-inflammatory drugs.

The severity of AS varies from mild to severe.

It is mild or moderate in most cases.

About 8 in 10 people with AS remain fully independent or minimally disabled in the long term and are able to work full-time for the whole of a normal working life.

One important point to remember - tell a doctor urgently if you have AS and develop a painful or red eye.

An eye complication called uveitis can be serious but can be treated successfully if treatment is given promptly.

Understanding The Lower Back: www.patient.co.uk/health/Ankylosing-Spondylitis.htm

The spine is made up of many bones called vertebrae. The vertebrae are roughly circular and between each vertebra is a 'disc'.

The discs are made of strong rubber-like tissue which allows the spine to be fairly flexible.

Strong ligaments also attach between adjacent vertebrae to give extra support and strength to the spine.

There are also various muscles that are attached to the spine which enable the spine to bend and move in various ways.

There are also small facet joints that help to attach vertebrae to each other.

The sacrum is formed from five fused vertebrae that are joined together.

They form a triangular shaped structure at the bottom of the spine.

The two sacro-iliac joints are the large long joints that join the sacrum to the ilium (the main bone of the pelvis).

What Is Ankylosing Spondylitis ?. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ankylosing_spondylitis

From Wikipedia (Wiki),The FREE Encyclopedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ankylosing_spondylitis

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS, from Greek ankylos, bent; spondylos, vertebrae), previously known as Bekhterev's disease, Bekhterev syndrome, and Marie-Strümpell disease, a form of Spondyloarthritis, is a chronic, inflammatory arthritis and autoimmune disease. It mainly affects joints in the spine and the sacroilium in the pelvis, and can cause eventual fusion of the spine.

It is a member of the group of the spondyloarthropathies with a strong genetic predisposition.

Complete fusion results in a complete rigidity of the spine, a condition known as bamboo spine.