VOLUME 3 , ISSUE 1 ( 2018 ) > List of Articles
Channabasava Patil
Keywords : Ankylosing spondylitis, Caudal epidural block, Central neuraxial block, Lumbar plexus block.
Citation Information : Patil C. Ankylosing Spondylitis: Challenges in Anesthetic Management for Elective Orthopedic Surgeries. Res Inno Anesth 2018; 3 (1):18-21.
DOI: 10.5005/jp-journals-10049-0042
License: CC BY-SA 4.0
Published Online: 01-03-2017
Copyright Statement: Copyright © 2018; The Author(s).
Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the axial skeleton in which the inflammatory process starts from the sacroiliac joints and spreads cephalad to affect the spine up to the cervical level along with costovertebral joints. These changes make administration of both general and regional anesthesia difficult. Patients with chronic diseases of the spine and altered anatomy pose technical challenges to the anesthesiologist. Hence, airway management and achieving central neuraxial blockade may be impossible. Complications of difficult intubation can be avoided by regional anesthesia with an added advantage of postoperative analgesia and faster recovery of the patient.