Surgical Treatment of Ankylosing Spondylitis with Andersson Lesion

Abstract

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) with an Andersson lesion may cause kyphosis. As the disease progresses, kyphosis gradually worsens. When conservative treatment does not improve the symptoms, surgery is often needed to correct the deformity. The optimal surgical approach for ankylosing spondylitis with kyphosis remains controversial. Here, we introduce our surgical procedure of pseudoarticular debridgement and osteotomy of the apical vertebrae of the Cobb angle. We found that both the kyphosis and associated symptoms improved significantly after 13 months of follow-up.