Jaybird, I hope you realize that my very first post in this thread wasn't directed at you or anyone else, it was just a generalized statement, you thought that it was directed at you because I just typed in the box below and you just happened to be the last person that posted....so please, just let it go, you've drug me through your Defcon 2 and Defcon 3...but here are the citations that you requested...
Ankylosing spondylitis diagnostic tests
There are two categories of diagnostic tests used to identify ankylosing spondylitis: imaging scans (e.g., x-rays, magnetic resonance images) that capture a picture of the spine and affected joints, and; blood tests that identify certain markers of ankylosing spondylitis.
Imaging Scans
In the early disease process, plain x-rays may be read as normal.
To diagnose ankylosing spondylitis, the sacroiliac joints (SI joints) at the back of the pelvis must be affected. More accurate and earlier diagnosis can be done using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI scans) and or CAT scans (CT scans).
Blood Tests
An elevated CRP and/or WESR (sedimentation rate) can be found in any inflammatory state, including ankylosing spondylitis. As mentioned previously in this article, 90% of people with ankylosing spondylitis test positive for the HLA B27 gene. Having this gene, however, does not necessarily mean that ankylosing spondylitis is present or that it will develop. 8% of healthy Caucasians and 2% of health African-Americans carry this gene. In fact, a healthy person who carries this gene and has no relatives with ankylosing spondylitis has only a 2% chance of getting this form of arthritis.
You can read this for yourself at the following website....
http://www.spine-health.com/conditions/arthritis/ankylosing-spondylitis-diagnosis
