A Comprehensive Analysis of Surgical Outcomes for Spinal Fractures in Patients With Ankylosing Spondylitis: A 13-Year Prospective Study

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) leads to increased spinal stiffness, raising the risk of spine fractures, even from minor injuries. The spine becomes brittle due to bone formation in ligaments and fusion of spinal joints. In advanced AS, ossification of paraspinal tissues and inflammatory osteitis make the spine fragile and prone to fractures. This study focuses on surgical outcomes after spine fracture fixations in AS patients. The study emphasizes the effectiveness of surgical interventions for treating spine fractures in AS patients, leading to improvements in both quality of life and neurological status.

• 1
  The predominant cause of spinal injury in AS patients was falling from a height (56%), and the most frequent fracture location was the C7-T1 level.
• 2
  Following surgery, patients showed notable improvements in neck disability index (NDI) and visual analog scale (VAS) scores, indicating enhanced quality of life and reduced pain.
• 3
  Neurological status improved post-surgery, with a significant number of patients progressing to Frankel D and Frankel E categories, demonstrating enhanced motor and sensory function.