Ankylosing spondylitis is not a clinically significant disease. Ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic progressive inflammatory disease of the spine that primarily affects the sacroiliac joints, synapses, ligaments, and large joints near the trunk, resulting in fibrous or bony ankylosis and deformity, and is a seronegative disease of the connective tissue. Patients may present with early pain in the sacroiliac joints and lower back that may radiate to the buttocks and thighs, stiffness in the lower back and inability to sit for long periods of time, and in advanced stages, flexion deformity of the trunk and hip joints.
Aggressive treatment can result in significant improvement of symptoms in patients with ankylosing spondylitis, and bed rest and traction therapy can also relieve deformities. In advanced cases, surgery can be considered to correct the deformity. Therefore, ankylosing spondylitis is not a major disease, and aggressive treatment can lead to significant improvement in clinical symptoms.