Ankylosing spondylitis affects each person differently. It is characterized by alternating spontaneous remissions and exacerbations, especially in the early stages of the disease. The prognosis is generally good because the lesions are often relatively mild or self-limiting, and most patients are able to work and study full time and survive indistinguishably from the general population, while a minority of patients may exhibit persistent disease activity and develop severe disability early in life. A poor prognosis is often suggested by the following factors: male age of onset ≤16 years; hip involvement; markedly elevated serum immunoglobulin IgA; failure to control pain symptoms after 2 weeks of heavy NSAID therapy; combination of extra-articular symptoms such as cardiovascular involvement, renal amyloidosis, spinal fracture and other serious complications. Hip involvement and complete ankylosis of the cervical spine are important causes of functional impairment. In recent years, hip arthroplasty has improved the partial or total loss of function in these patients. In addition, early diagnosis and treatment of the disease can improve the prognosis, and early treatment can delay and postpone the progression of the disease and greatly reduce the occurrence of spinal ankylosis, so patients with ankylosing spondylitis should pay sufficient attention to the disease, be confident, and actively cooperate with their doctors.