title: Spinal Cord Injury-an Unusual Presentation for Advanced Asymptomatic Ankylosing Spondylitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Ankylosing spondylitis affects the axial skeleton over many years, predisposing to osteoporosis and subsequent fractures. However, very rarely, it can be incidentally discovered in spinal cord injury cases.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 44-year-old male veteran who had previously been well and asymptomatic presented with paraparesis secondary to fractured dorsal vertebrae 10 and 11, following fall from a height. He had been referred to our institute for rehabilitation after surgical fixation of his vertebral fractures. X-rays of his spine, done after the injury brought to light the incidental finding of advanced ankylosing spondylitis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ankylosing spondylitis can be asymptomatic in a minority of patients, highlighting the importance of keeping a high index of suspicion, especially in patients presenting with vertebral fractures with/without spinal cord injury following relatively minor trauma.
authors.affiliation: Armed Forces Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine (AFIRM), Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Khalil
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.affiliation: Armed Forces Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine (AFIRM), Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Sumeera
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matee
authors.affiliation: Combined Military Hospital, Okara Cantonment, Okara, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Saeed
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bin Ayaz
authors.affiliation: Combined Military Hospital, Okara Cantonment, Okara, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Hussain
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rashid Ihsan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000209:etiology*; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000150:complications*; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000150:complications*