[Medical Q&A] Can ankylosing spondylitis be cured?

Planner: Chinese Medical Association

Reviewer: Shao Zengwu, Chief Physician and Professor of Union Hospital affiliated to Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology

Ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic, progressive, systemic inflammatory disease that mainly affects the sacroiliac joints and spinal attachment points. Ankylosing spondylitis has a slow onset, with systemic nonspecific manifestations such as fatigue and low fever as the main symptoms. Early manifestations include pain, discomfort, or morning stiffness in the lower back or sacroiliac region, which does not ease after rest but eases after activity. It can also manifest as soreness and discomfort in the buttocks and groin area, which can radiate to the lower limbs. Some patients have peripheral joint symptoms as the first or main symptom, which may be accompanied by morning stiffness. A few have neck and chest pain as the first symptom. In the late stage, the spine is stiff, and the flexion of the trunk and hip joints is severely restrained, and finally develops into hunchback, thoracic kyphosis, and head extension deformity. When the hip joint is affected, the patient has a swaying gait.

There is no cure for ankylosing spondylitis at present. Reasonable treatment can significantly control the patient's condition and improve their prognosis. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can be given for early pain. Encourage patients to perform spinal functional exercises appropriately to prevent hunchback. In the late stage, when severe hunchback affects life, surgical osteotomy can be performed, and joint replacement can be performed when the joints are severely ankylosed.