From the Guidelines

Spondylosis refers to a type of chronic inflammatory arthritis that affects the axial skeleton, including the spine and sacroiliac joints.

It is characterized by inflammatory back pain, radiographic sacroiliitis, excess spinal bone formation, and a high prevalence of HLA-B27 1
The severity of arthralgia, stiffness, and limited flexibility varies widely among patients and over the course of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) 1
Skeletal disease may be accompanied by uveitis, psoriasis, and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) 1

Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS): a form of chronic inflammatory arthritis characterized by sacroiliitis, enthesitis, and a marked propensity for sacroiliac joint and spinal fusion 1
Nonradiographic Axial Spondyloarthritis: patients who have chronic back pain and features suggestive of SpA but who do not meet the classification criteria for AS 1

Imaging plays a critical role in the diagnosis of axSpA, with MRI being a key diagnostic tool 1
Treatment algorithms focus on controlling disease activity and improving quality of life, with the use of biologic agents such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)–a antagonists being a standard of care for patients with active disease despite nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs 1
The goals of treatment are to alleviate symptoms, improve functioning, maintain the ability to work, decrease disease complications, and forestall skeletal damage as much as possible 1

Early identification and adequate treatment are a priority in achieving the treatment goals of individuals with axSpA 1
Patients with axSpA experience a substantial deterioration in health-related quality of life (QoL) on account of impaired function, work productivity, and social interactions 1
Comorbidities also contribute to the burden of disease and are frequent in patients with axSpA 1

From the Research

Spondylosis is a generalized disease process affecting the spine, characterized by degenerative changes in the intervertebral discs, osteophytosis of the vertebral bodies, hypertrophy of the facets and laminal arches, and ligamentous and segmental instability 2.
It is a chronic, noninflammatory disease caused by degeneration of the disc and/or facet joints, resulting in symptoms such as neck or back pain, radiculopathy, and myelopathy 3, 4, 5, 6.

Cervical spondylosis: affects the cervical spine, causing symptoms such as neck pain, radiculopathy, and myelopathy 2, 3, 4, 5.
Lumbar spondylosis: affects the lumbar spine, causing symptoms such as low back pain, radiating leg pain, and neurologenic intermittent claudication 6.

Aging is the major risk factor that contributes to the onset of spondylosis 2, 3.
Degenerative disc disease is a common cause of spondylosis, leading to desiccation of the intervertebral disc and loss of lordosis 3.
Congenital spinal stenosis can also contribute to the development of spondylosis 4.

Neck or back pain is a common symptom of spondylosis, which can progress to radiculopathy and myelopathy 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
Neurologic symptoms such as numbness, tingling, and weakness can occur in patients with spondylosis 4, 5.
Intermittent claudication and spinal stenosis can also occur in patients with lumbar spondylosis 6.