The importance of finger-toe distance as a propaedeutical method in the diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis
Keywords:
spondylitis, ankylosing, finger-toe distance, diagnosisAbstract
The ankylosing spondylitis is a disease characterized by a progressive injury of long time of the axial skeleton. This injury, in the later Stage, generally results in total ankylosis of the joints, mainly of the sacroiliac joints. Certainly, after the ankylosis of a joint, the functional capacity becomes extremely limited, when not totally. In this case report, although presenting severe involvement of the axial skeleton, it was not observed significant alterations in the flexion of lumbar segment, with normal finger-toe distance. This fact raised questions about the validity of finger-toe distance as a propaedeutical method in the patients with ankylosing spondylitis.
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References
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