What is ankylosing spondylitis?
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- Spondylitis means inflammation of the spine.
- Ankylosing is a word that describes bones that tend to join together (fuse) across a joint.
In ankylosing spondylitis (AS), the discs and ligaments of the lower spine become inflamed. The discs and ligaments are the strong tissues that connect the spinal bones (vertebrae) together. The joints between the lower spine and the pelvis (the sacro-iliac joints), and the small facet joints between the vertebrae are also commonly affected. Inflammation around the lower spine that persists long-term can cause scarring. This may, over time, cause some of the vertebrae in the spine to fuse together.
In some cases, inflammation occurs in other joints and in other parts of the body outside of the spine (detailed above).
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