Hingoli Man With Severe Spine Deformity Walks Again After Complex Surgery At JJ Hospital

Mumbai: A 32-year-old man from Hingoli, who had been living with severe back pain and a progressively bent spine for nearly six years due to ankylosing spondylitis, has regained the ability to stand upright and walk after undergoing a complex corrective spine surgery at Sir JJ Group of Hospitals.

Shivraj Mahadeo Javane, a computer science graduate was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis in 2021 after developing persistent back pain in 2020. His spine gradually became rigid and curved forward, making it difficult to sit, sleep, walk, bend or even look straight ahead. The condition forced him to quit his bank job in 2022.

Spinal Condition Forced Him To Quit Job

His worsening spinal deformity also caused abnormal weight-bearing on one side, severely damaging his hip and requiring hip replacement surgery at a hospital in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in 2025. During this period, Javane learnt about Dr Dhiraj Sonawane, Chief Spine Surgeon, Associate Professor and Head of the Orthopaedic and Spine Unit at JJ Hospital, and sought treatment for his spinal deformity.

Rare Kyphosis Deformity Corrected

Javane was admitted to JJ Hospital on July 15, 2026. HLA-B27 testing and whole-spine X-rays confirmed severe kyphosis, a rare complication of ankylosing spondylitis. While the disease affects approximately one in two lakh people, severe kyphosis associated with it is estimated to occur in nearly one in four million people.

Dr Sonawane led the multidisciplinary team that performed a corrective osteotomy on July 17.

“Normally, the spine has 33 vertebrae that help an individual to bend forward, turn sideways, look up, look down, and carry out everyday activities with ease. However, in ankylosing spondylitis, these joints tend to get fused, preventing normal movement,” said Dr Sonawane.

Seven-Hour Surgery Straightened Spine

He explained that chronic inflammation causes new bone formation between spinal joints, eventually fusing them and making the spine rigid.

“In Shivraj's case, ankylosing spondylitis had progressed to severe kyphosis deformity, causing his entire spine to bend forward into a bow-like posture. This made it challenging for him to stand upright, walk comfortably, look straight ahead, or even perform simple daily activities,” he said.

The seven-to-eight-hour surgery involved removing a precisely calculated, nearly 45-degree wedge of bone from the lumbar spine. The spine was gradually straightened and stabilised with specialised rods and screws.

Javane underwent physiotherapy and rehabilitation and was gradually mobilised. He was discharged on July 23 and advised to avoid heavy lifting and excessive bending, perform leg-strengthening exercises and attend follow-ups.

Doctors said early diagnosis and treatment can help slow ankylosing spondylitis and prevent severe spinal deformities requiring more extensive and high-risk surgery.

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