Name(s):
Spondylitis
Spondylitis deformans
Spondylosis
Spondylarthrosis
Marie-Strümpell disease
Spondylitis ankylopoietica
Marie-Strumpell disease
Von Bechterew's disease
Background
Ankylosing means fusing together (ankylosis). Spondylitis indicates inflammation involving the joints of the spine and is derived from the Greek words describing the building blocks of the spine (spondylos) and "itis" meaning inflammation. The entire fusing of the spine, as implied by the name of the condition, is not the norm. Many people will only have partial fusion, sometimes limited to the pelvic bones.