spondyloarthropathy

I am a 40 year old male and have been suffering with rhuematoid arthtritis now for about 18 years, my specialist says it is more like spondyloarthropathy than rhuematoid. I had an accident back in 1991 hurting both knees and back, i was absent from work about a month but then returned , i was still getting stiffness and pain but i took painkillers, about 10 months later i had massive swelling in both knees. When i went to hospital they took quite a lot of fluid from them and gave me painkillers. I was absent from work about 12 weeks, this has gone on now for quite a few years, I have had keyhole surgery in both knees about 4 times but the problem remains. Then 5 years ago i was diagnoised with R/A , iwas refered to a specialist and tried new drugs. In the past two years i have been diagnoised disabled and i am now in threat of losing my job (postman for 20 years) due to time off sick. The past two years it has got really bad and now i need crutches to walk when it is at its worse. I am still having treatment but nothing seems to work. Could the accident i had all them years ago have anything to do with my condition? I had no symptoms before and was fit and healthy. Could the trauma of the accident caused this? If you could help i would be grateful.
       Thank you paul

[flutter7]

Yes, I have this. Did you test positive for HLA-B27? If you have RA then you dont have spondyloarthropathy, as you need to test negative/low reumatoid factor for a spondyloarthropathy diagnosis. Either way they are practically the same, pain wise anyway!

My symptoms started after an injury at the gym. I believe that because we were predisositioned, getting an injury is how the condition becomes active. This is just my theory, not proven, although isn't it interesting that is can develop after an injury.

[txsilver]

Actually, you can be negative for HLA B27 have RA and still have one of the spondys.  It's unusual, but I am unusual and have both.   I agree with flutter that it could be that the accident accelerated the condition.  Do you have your lab results?