Clinical features and outcomes of spine surgery in patients with ankylosing spondylitis

Objectives The study aimed to comprehend the clinical features and outcomes of surgical treatments for spinal disorders in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Methods This retrospective study enrolled patients with AS who underwent spine surgery between 2000 and 2019 in our facility. Results Thirteen patients with AS underwent spine surgeries. The mean age was 56.2 years, and the mean disease duration was 25.1 years at the time of surgery. Nine patients had vertebral fracture, two had kyphotic deformity, and two had myelopathy due to the spinal ligament ossification. Fracture cases included five patients with secondary pseudarthrosis/delayed palsy due to conservative treatment failure. Spinal fixation was performed in all patients. Pedicle subtraction osteotomy for kyphosis and laminectomy for myelopathy were also conducted. All patients improved after surgeries. One patient with kyphotic deformity underwent additional surgery of bilateral hip prosthesis, which resulted in better spine alignment. Four cases of perioperative complications were observed. Conclusion Myelopathy was newly found as the aetiology requiring surgery in patients with AS. This summarized case series could help physicians to identify patients with surgically treatable spinal disorders among patients with AS.