ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is an inflammatory rheumatic disease characterized by spine and sacroiliac joint involvement that mainly affects young male subjects. Bone Mineral Density (BMD) loss occurs in AS disease course. Bone loss in AS appears to be multifactorial and perhaps involves different mechanisms at different stages of disease. The disease typically affects young males and is associated with progressive functional impairment, increased work disability and decreased quality of life. Osteoporosis is frequent in AS and there is a close association of bone mineral density, bone metabolism and inflammatory activity. Osteoporosis is frequently associated with AS and BMD decreased predominantly in patients with active disease. AIMS & OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to study bone mineral density in cases of Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) in comparison to age and sex matched controls. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The present study was conducted on 100 established cases of AS based on modified New York criteria and 150 controls healthy, age, race, socio-economic matched controls patients. The results were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: Hundred cases of AS were subjected to undergo BMD by Dual Energy X-ray Absorption (DEXA) scan of different age groups in cases 35.19± 8.23(min age 23- max age 67years) and controls 33.27±5.22(min age 22years - max age 44years) with height observed in cases is 169.67±6-87 and controls 170.99±7.16 with weight varied in cases 65.63±10.27 and controls 70.14±10.67. CONCLUSION: Osteoporosis is a significant complication in ankylosing spondylitis and needs to be monitored and managed at the earliest. Significant osteoporosis can occur even in early disease. Osteoporosis of spine is much more prevalent than femur.BMD spine is still the most important site to define osteoporosis in ankylosing spondylitis. Rise in BMD in LS spine with duration, is not exclusive for subjects with radiologically evident syndesmophytes. Statistically, presence of syndesmophytes did not affect estimation of osteoporosis of spine.
