![]() Genetics play a large role in this condition. AS can also affect children, called juvenile ankylosing spondylitis, and more commonly so in boys than girls. Side-view X-ray of an ankylosed spine Who gets ankylosing spondylitis?Īnkylosing spondylitis often begins at a young age (from the teens to the third decade of life) and is more common in men – about two to three times more common than in women. The neck (cervical spine) often has a similar inflammatory process and can likewise progressively lose motion. ![]() As a result of this inflammation, a person feels stiffness and pain in the back, a gradual loss of mobility, and in the most severe cases, a complete loss of motion of the lower back. "Spondylitis" refers specifically to the inflammatory process ("itis") of the spine. This leads to the fusion of one spinal vertebra to the one above or below it. In addition, inflammatory injury to bone tissue itself also causes scarring followed by bony overgrowth. This causes them to form scar tissue, and then new bone tissue can form within the ligaments. One component of this fusion process is that ligaments that connect one vertebra to another become injured by the inflammatory process. "Ankylosing" refers to the tendency of the spine to fuse (or “ankylose”). It can also cause inflammation at the entheses – areas where tendons attach to bone, such as where the Achilles’ tendon attaches to the heel or where the tendons at the elbow. The severity and pattern of joint involvement varies from person to person. But it can also affect several other joints, such as the hips, knees and chest wall. 16, 2023.Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic, inflammatory disorder that particularly affects the spine. Diagnosis and differential diagnosis of axial spondyloarthritis (ankylosing spondylitis and nonradiographic axial spondyloarthritis) in adults. Treatment of axial spondyloarthritis in adults. Clinical manifestations of axial spondyloarthritis in adults. Rheumatology and the musculoskeletal system. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. The inflammation associated with ankylosing spondylitis increases the risk of heart disease in general. The inflamed aorta can enlarge to the point that it distorts the shape of the aortic valve in the heart, which impairs its function. Ankylosing spondylitis can cause problems with the aorta, the largest artery in the body. Vertebral fractures can put pressure on and possibly injure the spinal cord and the nerves that pass through the spine. Weakened vertebrae can crumple, increasing the severity of a stooped posture. Some people's bones weaken during the early stages of ankylosing spondylitis. See your health care provider right away if you develop these symptoms. One of the most common complications of ankylosing spondylitis, uveitis can cause rapid-onset eye pain, sensitivity to light and blurred vision. Fusion also can stiffen the rib cage, restricting lung capacity and function. Those parts of the spine become stiff and inflexible. This new bone gradually bridges the gap between vertebrae and eventually fuses sections of vertebrae. In severe ankylosing spondylitis, new bone forms as part of the body's attempt to heal.
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