Joint replacement surgery enables many people to regain the use of joints that have been affected by spondylitis and other forms of arthritis. Hip, shoulder, and knee replacements also can be successful in spondylitis.

Rarely surgery can be done to straighten the spine but it requires significant expertise and should only be done by someone with experience in this area. At this point in time, many doctors and surgeons consider surgery to correct kyphosis (forward stooping of the spine) a high-risk procedure and one in which they will not perform.