To seek for a new method of integrated Chinese and western medicine in treating ankylosing spondylitis (AS) to control the disease development

shorten the therapeutic course and lower disability rate. Patients of AS enrolled in this study were 106 cases in Group A

who were persistently treated with traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine (TCM-WM) for over 10 months

48 cases in Group B treated with WM and 34 cases in Group C treated with non-steroid anti-inflammatory and analgesic agents. They were followed-up for 2 years. (1) Short-term effect: The markedly effective rate in the 3 groups was 73.58%

47.92% and 5.88% respectively

and the total effective rate was 96.23%

87.50% and 41.18% respectively. The comparison of Group A with Group B and C showed significant difference

the effect in Group A was superior to that in Group B and Group C (x2 = 10.58

P<0.01 and x2 = 67.76

P<0. 01 respectively). (2) Results of 2-year follow-up: the recurrence rate in Group A was 18.37% (9/49)

it was insignificantly different from that in Group B (7/23

30.43%

x2 = 1 . 32

P >0.05)

but significantly different from that in Group C (8/12

66.67%

x2 = H . 19

P < 0.01). Long-term TCM-WM therapy

which combined the advantages of Chinese and western medicine

was a practical method in treating AS with reliable effect

few side-effects

and therefore is worth popularizing.