Anklosing Spondylitis
	Discitis
	Osteoporosis
	Sacroiliitis
	Arachnoiditis

Inflammatory spinal conditions include arthritis and any condition where inflammation causes pain in the joints of the spine. Inflammation is a body's natural response to tissue irritation or damage, and it can cause swelling, redness, heat, and loss of function. Inflammation of a joint is called arthritis and can be confined to a small part of the body, such as a single joint, or it may be wide-spread, as occurs with rheumatoid arthritis. Inflammation can become chronic and persistent. Infections of the spinal column are not common, but serious, nonetheless, because, if one remains undiagnosed for a long period of time, a bone and/or joint infection can be crippling or even life-threatening. Ankylosing spondylitis, discitis, osteoporosis, sacroiliitis, and arachnoiditis are all examples of inflammatory and infectious conditions that affect the adult spine.

Ankylosing Spondylitis
Also referred to as rheumatoid arthritis of the spine, ankylosing spondylitis is a condition characterized by inflammation and stiffening ofthe ligamentous attachments to the vertebrae. Blood tests can be used to help detect ankylosing spondylitis because 90 percent of the people who suffer from this condition have a particular protein, called human leukocyte antigen B27 (HLA-B27), in their blood cells.

Discitis
Also referred to as disc space infection, discitis is a condition characterized by lesion of the intervertebral disc that occurs more commonly in children. Although the cause of discitis has been the subject of debate, that the lesions are caused by inflammation resulting from a viral infection, such as staphylococcus, is commonly offered as an explanation. The lumbar spine is the most commonly involved region.

Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a condition characterized by loss of bone mass and structural deterioration of bone tissue, leading to bone fragility and an increased susceptibility to fracture. The term osteoporosis is derived from the Latin words osteon (bone), poros (passage), and -osis (condition or formation). The exact cause of osteoporosis is not known. Bone strength is a product of bone mass and density, and bone density depends, in part, on the amount of calcium, phosphorus, and other minerals that the bone contains. Bones that contain less of these minerals tend to exhibit less strength and less internal supporting structure (more porosity).

Sacroiliitis
Sacroiliitis is a condition that involves inflammation of the sacro-iliac joint in the pelvis.

Arachnoiditis
Arachnoiditis is a condition tnat involves chronic inflammation caused by the introduction of foreign agents into the space between the outer two layers of the meninges (the subarachnoid space), infections (especially tuberculosis), and trauma to the theca of the spinal cord from either an injury or surgery.

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