Purpose Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic progressive multisystemic disease. Patients with AS present a specific set of anesthesia-related challenges, and the parturient with AS presents particular anesthetic considerations. We report our experience with a parturient with advanced AS and offer a novel explanation for the high incidence of epidural failures in this patient population. Clinical features We present the case of a 36-yr-old primigravida parturient with a very difficult airway and a history of severe AS. The initial treatment plan was to use a continuous epidural for labour analgesia. Despite two successful placements of lumbar epidural catheters, adequate rostral spread of local anesthesia to control her labour pain was never achieved via the epidural route. Thus, continuous spinal anesthesia was used, which provided effective labour analgesia in this patient. Conclusion We hypothesize that this patient's advanced calcified posterior longitudinal ligament caused a physical barrier to rostral spread of local anesthesia solution within her epidural space. This hypothesis is supported by a recent study highlighting the importance of this ligament in allowing adequate distribution of solution within the epidural space. In addition, the successful use of continuous spinal analgesia adds to the growing body of literature supporting the safety and efficacy of intrathecal catheters for labour analgesia in specific situations. RésuméObjectif La spondylarthrite ankylosante (SpA) est une maladie chronique e´volutive affectant plusieurs syste`mes. Les patients souffrant de SpA posent une se´rie de de´fis spe´cifiques lie´s à l'anesthe´sie et les proble`mes d'une parturiente souffrant de SpA ne´cessitent une approche encore plus e´labore´e. Nous de´crivons notre expe´rience avec une parturiente atteinte de SpA avance´e et proposons une nouvelle explication pour l'incidence e´leve´e d'e´checs de la pe´ridurale dans cette population de patientes. Caractéristiques cliniques Nous pre´sentons le cas d'une parturiente de 36 ans, primipare, ayant des ante´ce´dents de SpA se´ve`re et des voies ae´riennes difficiles. Le plan the´rapeutique initial consistait a`utiliser une pe´ridurale continue pour l'analge´sie au cours du travail. Malgre´la mise en place re´ussie de deux cathe´ters pe´riduraux par voie lombaire, une diffusion rostrale approprie´e de l'anesthe´sie locale pour atte´nuer sa douleur n'a jamais e´teó btenue par voie pe´ridurale. En conse´quence, une

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