Ankylosing Spondylitis, Orthopedic Perspective

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Medical Author:

Jason C. Eck, DO, MS

Jason C. Eck, DO, MS

Dr. Eck received a Bachelor of Science degree from the Catholic University of America in Biomedical Engineering, followed by a Master of Science degree in Biomedical Engineering from Marquette University. Following this he worked as a research engineer

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Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the spine and the area where the spine connects to the pelvis (known as the sacroiliac joints). Sacroiliac joint involvement is considered the hallmark of this disorder and is a requirement for diagnosis.

Ankylosing spondylitis is categorized as a seronegative spondyloarthropathy. The term seronegative means that a blood test result does not show the presence of rheumatoid arthritis, and the term spondyloarthropathy means a disease that affects the joints of the spine. These inflammatory disorders affect multiple systems of the body. Other disorders in this category include: Reiter syndrome (reactive arthritis); arthritis associated with inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis; psoriatic arthritis; undifferentiated spondyloarthropathies; juvenile chronic arthritis; and juvenile-onset ankylosing spondylitis.

Ankylosing spondylitis affects approximately 0.1-0.2% of the world population and is more prevalent in individuals of Northern European ancestry. People with ankylosing spondylitis often have a family member with the disease or one of the other spondyloarthropathy disorders listed above.

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