The Management of Spinal Injuries in Patients With Ankylosing Spondylitis or Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis

Abstract

Although the rate of neurologic injury was high for both groups, AS patients were more likely to exhibit neurologic deficits and undergo operative management. Although the majority of these spinal injuries were treated surgically, stable fractures without any associated neurologic deficits were often successfully managed with immobilization. Complications were observed with both operative and nonoperative treatments, although all of the deaths occurred in conjunction with the use of the halo-vest orthosis.