Is regional anesthesia a safe technique for patients with severe ankylosing spondylitis undergoing total hip replacement surgery?

Background: Authors report two cases of regional anesthesia management whom were scheduled for total hip replacement surgery due to ankylosing spondylitis.Methods: Mouth opening, and cervical spine movements were limited. Cervical ostheophytes have been recognized to cause distortion of the airway and can lead to unexpected difficulties during intubation.Results: In present first case report we described continuous spinal anesthesia for a patient with severe ankylosing spondylitis. We achieved successful anesthesia using epidural catheter by insertion of spinal area. Awake epidural anesthesia management was described in second case of the study.Conclusions: Authors suggest that regional anesthesia can be safely and effectively used as an alternative to general anesthesia in patients with ankylosing spondylitis.