What is ankylosing spondylitis?

The term arthritis means joint inflammation.  Inflammation can cause pain, swelling and stiffness.  Ankylosing spondylitis is a type of inflammatory arthritis which affects over 70,000 people in the UK.  Ankylosing means the stiffening of a joint caused by the fusion of bones or fibres parts and spondylitis means inflammation of the vertebrae or spinal bones.  Painful symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis are associated mainly with the spine although other joints can also be affected as can other organs such as the eyes, bowel, heart and lungs.

Now in the early stages of the disease it is difficult to form a true diagnosis as other conditions can present with similar symptoms.  Now ankylosing spondylitis is mainly associated with the spine and the spine is made up of 33 bones known as vertebrae and these can be divided into three sections; cervical, thoracic and lumbar regions.  When someone develops ankylosing spondylitis ligaments or tendons which are connected to bones become inflamed or swollen and it's this inflammation of the ligament or tendons that can begin to wear away the nearby bone.  Once the inflammation goes down, a normal new bone can then develop where the original bone was worn away and so this means joints can become fused together and less flexible.