Spondylitis. Coloured X-ray of the lower spine and pelvis of a patient with spondylitis, an inflammation of the synovial joints of the backbone. Spondylitis has varying severity, the most crippling being ankylosing spondylitis. This can led to deformity of the spine, with the patient suffering from a fixed kyphosis, an outward curvature of the spine. The condition is treated with painkillers and regular exercise.