Static and dynamic balance in subjects with ankylosing spondylitis: literature review

To analyze the musculoskeletal changes of individuals with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and their repercussions on postural control, a literature review was carried out in the BIREME and EBSCO HOTS databases and Pubmed site with the following keywords: "ankylosing spondylitis", "postural balance", and "posture". Articles involving human beings, assessing the postural control and balance of individuals with AS, written in English or Portuguese and published between 1999 and 2010, were selected. Of the total number of articles found, only four met the requirements. Of those, three compared the outcomes of patients with AS with data obtained from healthy individuals, and one article assessed individuals with AS. No article used the same method of postural analysis. To assess balance, Berg Balance Scale, Force Plate, and Magnometry were used. The major postural deviations found were increased thoracic kyphosis and hip flexion, which lead to a forward displacement of the body's center of gravity, with knee flexion and ankle plantar flexion as compensation to control balance. Only one author reported worsening of functional balance in subjects with AS. All assessment methods used were considered capable of measuring balance, and no specific scale for patients with AS exists.