Inflammation and Syndesmophyte Formation in the Spine

This chapter discusses the relationship between inflammation and the development of syndesmophytes in the spine. It analyzes the causal pathway between inflammation, fat lesions, and syndesmophyte formation, finding that the majority of the effect of inflammation on syndesmophytes is through a direct effect rather than being mediated by fat lesions. The chapter also explores the predictive characteristics and emphasizes the importance of focusing on imaging and syndesmophyte development in clinical practice.