About Ankylosing Spondylitis. Ankylosing spondylitis is a form of progressive arthritis due to chronic inflammation of the joints in the spine. Its name comes from the Greek words  ankylos,  meaning stiffening of a joint, and  spondylo,  meaning vertebra.nkylosing Spondylitis. A form of arthritis that affects the spine, the sacroiliac joints, and sometimes the hips and shoulders. In severe cases, the joints of the spine fuse and the spine becomes rigid. PubMed Health Glossary. (Source: NIH-National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases).
The most common cause of numbness in the part of the hand that you describe (the ring finger) would be carpal tunnel syndrome, which is a condition in which the median nerve, which runs down the center of the wrist, becomes pinched or inflamed.
Hand Numbness and Tingling, by David Katz, MD. Do your hands ever go numb and tingly? Do you wake up at night with a âdeadâ hand and have to shake it out to get it to âwake up?â Do your hands fall asleep while driving a car or holding a cell phone? If so, then you may have increased pressure on a nerve in your palm â a condition called Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is the most common cause of numbness and tingling in the hand. As a result of pressure on the median nerve, one may experience pain, weakness, and numbness in the hand and fingers. This typically affects some combination of the thumb, index, middle, and ring finger.