ANKYLOSING-SPONDYLITIS - A COMMON-CAUSE OF LOW-BACK-PAIN

Back pain can be a symptom of any number of problems, most commonly me chanical, or structural, in nature. Among the nonmechanical causes is ankylosing spondylitis, an inflammatory disease that involves the spin e and sometimes other joints and extra-articular organs. Dr Escalante explains how to differentiate this disease from other causes of back p ain, describes simple clinical diagnostic tests, and outlines current treatment. The condition's link with HLA-B27 is also discussed.