Ankylosing Spondylitis                                                                                             RETURN TO GLOSSARY OF TERMS

Ankylosing Spondylitis is the third most common arthritic disease (after osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis). It runs in families and almost (but not completely) exclusively affects young white males between the ages of 15 and 25 years old.

The condition is caused when excessive calcium deposits are laid down, with the results that bones become fused together and ligaments become inflamed and eventually calcify. The spine - particularly the lower back - is the part of the body most commonly affected but other large joints can be hit too, and there is nearly always some general illness.

After some time, if enough joints are affected, the whole of the spine can become rigid or ankylosed, with the result that the sufferer cannot bend. The ligaments which join the vertebrae onto the ribs may also harden with the result that the rib cage becomes flatter and the patient finds it difficult to breathe. Most sufferers also have inflammation of their eyes.

The symptoms of Ankylosing Spondylitis are pain and stiffness in the back and other affected joints, and although these symptoms are usually worse in the mornings or after any rest or lack of movement they are often relieved by gentle exercise.