Two Fractures of the Cervical Spine in Ankylosing Spondylitis 8 Years Apart

Abstract The cervical spine is the most common site of spinal fractures in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). These fractures can occur either through the disc space or through the vertebral body itself. Due to the long lever arms of the fused spine acting on the site of fracture, these fractures are unstable and need surgical stabilization. Although the incidence of spinal fractures in these patients is far greater than in the normal population, a second fracture in the ankylosed cervical spine several years after the initial injury has not been reported. We present a case where a patient of AS had two fractures 8 years apart one of which happened through the disc space and the other through the vertebral body one level above the construct applied previously.