Ankylosing Spondylitis Surgery

Ankylosing spondylitis surgery is seldom necessary. But for some people, the disease can become debilitating. When all other forms of treatment have failed to ease the pain and prevent spinal deformity caused by the disease, surgery may be your last resort. Spinal surgery may be performed on those who present with one or all of the following complaints:

• spinal deformity so severe that the head is bent forward in a fixed position (the flexed position is so great that the chin rests on the chest)
• a neurological deficit exists
• the spine is poorly stabilized
• chronic severe pain that is not relieved by non-surgical methods
• difficulty completing everyday activities

There are several types of surgery that can be performed:

• osteotomy- spinal bone is cut to correct deformities
• fusion and instrumentation- spinal bones are fused together and stabilized by rods, screws, or wires
• decompression- removal of disc/bone to restore neurological function in the spinal canal

In some cases, shoulder, hip, or knee replacement surgery may help people regain the use of joints that have been damaged by ankylosing spondylitis.