Syndesmophytes are calcifications or heterotopic ossifications inside a spinal ligament or of the annulus fibrosus. They are seen in only a limited number of conditions including:
They can be classified as marginal (along the margins of the vertebral bodies) or non-marginal (larger and bulky away from the vertebral bodies). Ankylosing spondylitis classically displays symmetrical marginal syndesmophytes.
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