Treatment of ankylosing spondylitis: a critical appraisal of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and corticosteroids.

Treatment of ankylosing spondylitis and related disorders has been revolutionized by the advent of biological therapy, especially tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitors. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, however, remain the first line of treatment. Evidence has accumulated that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug therapy of ankylosing spondylitis and related disorders is effective in controlling several of the clinical manifestations seen in these disorders, particularly pain, physical function and perhaps progressive spinal fusion. What needs to be proven, however, is the long-term safety profile of these drugs.