The Frequency and Effect of Scoliosis in Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis

Background: Idiopathic scoliosis is a common spine problem in young adults. Although the incidence of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is less than that of scoliosis, it usually begins in adolescence and can be seen with scoliosis. Methods: The study prospective is a cross-sectional study. Patients who applied to physical therapy and rheumatology outpatient clinic with the diagnosis of AS were included in the study as a patient group; people of similar age and gender to the patient group, who with non-inflammatory low back pain, were included in the study as a control group; and Cobb angle was calculated from thoracolumbar radiograph using a program installed on the system. Results: A total of 311 people, 161 patients with AS and 150 people as the control group, were included in the study. While scoliosis frequency was 24.2% in the AS group and 6% in the control group, scoliosis was more frequent in the AS group as statistically significant ( P < .01). Uveitis ( P = .015, odds ratio (OR) = 4.229), C-reactive protein (CRP; P = .037 OR = 1.245) and bilateral grade 4 sacroiliitis ( P < .01, OR = 1.556) were found to be associated with presence of scoliosis in binary logistic regression analysis in AS group. There was no difference between the groups in age, gender, medications, axial and axial plus peripheric involvement, HLA-B27 positivity, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, presence of enthesopathy, duration of disease and Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index ( P > .05), according to the presence of scoliosis, in AS group. Conclusions: Our study revealed that scoliosis was more common in AS with a frequency reaching 24.2% of AS cases compared to 6% in the control group, but the presence of scoliosis was not associated with other parameters in disease activity except CRP and uveitis frequency; and with any change except the degree of sacroiliitis.