Complete Fusion of Three Lumbar Vertebral Bodies in Ankylosing Spondylitis

May 23, 2020

Case Reports

. 2020 Feb 12;16(1):105-109.

doi: 10.13004/kjnt.2020.16.e1.

eCollection 2020 Apr.

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Case Reports

Dong Hyun Kim et al.

Korean J Neurotrauma.

2020.

Free PMC article

Abstract

Ankylosing spondylitis is a seronegative arthropathy of unknown etiology affecting mainly young adults. Acute or chronic changes of the spine such as sacroiliitis, spondylodiscitis, osteitis, ossification, and arthropathic lesions characterize the disease. Spinal involvement may accompany ossification of the ligaments, disc, end-plates and apophyseal structures, and seems to be bamboo spine. Here, we report a rare case describing the complete fusion of three lumbar vertebral bodies in ankylosing spondylitis. This rare case is presented alongside a literature review.

Keywords:

Ankylosing spondylitis; Lumbar vertebrae; Vertebral fusion.

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: The authors have no financial conflicts of interest.

Figures

**FIGURE 1. Preoperative anterior posterior (A) and lateral (B) radiographs show the complete fusion of three vertebral bodies.**

FIGURE 2. T1- and T2-weighted sagittal magnetic resonance images (A & B) reveal severe foraminal stenosis and complete fusion of vertebral bodies. Each of the 3 pedicles is observed (arrows) and the “Andersson lesion” is visible at the antero-inferior portion at L5 and the antero-superior portion at S1 (blue arrowheads). “Shiny corner sign” is visible at anterior vertebral corners as high signal intensity (red arrowheads).

**FIGURE 3. Postoperative simple radiographs (A & B) taken 6 months after the posterior lumbar interbody fusion at the L5-S1 level.**

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