What is the typical age of onset for Ankylosing Spondylitis?

• A. After 60
• B. In infancy
• C. Late teens to early 20s
• D. 40s to 50s

Answer: (C)

Ankylosing Spondylitis typically begins in young adults, often during the late teens to early 20s. This is the age range when inflammatory back pain from axial skeleton involvement tends to first appear, with symptoms such as insidious onset of back pain that improves with exercise and may be associated with morning stiffness. Because the disease commonly starts in adolescence or early adulthood, this age window is much more characteristic than onset in older ages.

Why the other ages fit less well: starting after 60 is not typical for AS, and infancy is far too early for this inflammatory spinal disease. While some inflammatory conditions can begin later, AS most commonly presents in the late teen years to the early 20s, making that range the best match.