Association of Arterial Hypertension with Thoracic Spondylophyte Formation: A Secondary Analysis of Cross-Sectional MRI Data from the SHIP Cohort

This population-based MRI study investigates the still insufficiently studied relationship between arterial hypertension and the formation of thoracic spondylophytes. The findings are consistent with the hypothesis that hypertension may be associated with spinal bone remodelling, though causal inference remains limited by the cross-sectional study design. Further longitudinal studies are needed to clarify causality and clinical relevance for spinal degeneration and back pain.