Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory seronegative arthropathy that progressively affects the axial skeleton, leading to a characteristic spinal
kyphotic deformity in its later stages.[1] Severe deformities cause muscle fatigue, an inability to look straight ahead, and functional disabilities.[2],[3],[4],[5] Surgical correction is necessary in many patients with AS kyphosis to restore sagittal balance and improve the quality of life.[6],[7],[8],[9]
Anterior decompression and fusion for thoracolumbar fractures can restore vertebral body height and correct
kyphotic deformity better than posterior alone.
Note the resolution of
kyphotic deformity with consolidation of fracture lines.
He has now a moderate chronic back pain and vertebral body loss although with no
kyphotic deformity.
Records of Baseline Examinations Examination Reporting Results Spine form Thoracic spine Normal curve, hyper
kyphotic, straight back Lumbar spine Normal curve, hyper lordosis Coronal plane Normal, scoliosis Pelvic level Even (0) or state the difference of right and left by cm Sacroiliac joint Normal, abnormal Cervical rotation Right Range of motion in degree Left Spinal flexion State distance between fingertip and floor line, Positive numbers for hypo mobility, Negative numbers for crossing the floor line Table 2.
A
kyphotic curve is effectively a curve of flexion.
The effect of
kyphotic deformity because of vertebral fracture: a finite element analysis of a 10[degrees] and 20[degrees] wedge-shaped vertebral fracture model, Spine J 15(4): 713-720.
About 5% of patients will develop a severe
kyphotic deformity resulting in spinal cord compression, pain, costopelvic impingement, cosmetic concerns and cardiopulmonary dysfunction (3).
gripped in the
kyphotic vice of her extreme old age, curves up and over
Acute
kyphotic deformity of the upper thoracic spine with loss of vertebral body height, vertebral body fusion, posterior element fusion, and kyphosis consistent with the patient's known history of Potts disease was also seen in chest CT.
Radiograph of the dorsal spine in the lateral projection showed the presence of mild concavity in the anterior aspect of vertebral bodies ("fish mouth" vertebra) and
kyphotic curvature [5].
The immediate postoperative MRI (Figures 8(a) and 8(b)) and again the fifth year (Figures 9(a) and 9(b)) and sixteenth year follow-up MRIs (Figures 8(c) and 8(d)) showed that the lesion was totally removed, fusion was stable, the hemangioma had not recurred, the spinal canal was free, and the
kyphotic angle remained unchanged.
