Liang H, et al. - In a Chinese population of 2000 individuals (1335 men and 665 women) who underwent positron emission tomography and CT for the purpose of cancer screening, researchers analyzed epidemiological characteristics of ossification of the spinal ligaments (OSL), comprehensively, by using whole spine CT. They also identified factors that correlate with the presence of OSL. The estimated prevalence rate of cervical OPLL (ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament), thoracic OPLL, lumbar OPLL, thoracic OLF (ossification of ligamentum flavum) [T-OLF], lumbar OLF, ossification of nuchal ligament, and diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis were 4.1%, 2.25%, 0.8%, 37.65%, 1.45%, 31.5%, and 3.85%, respectively. It was not uncommon to detect tandem ossification in people with OSL. Findings revealed a high incidence of multiple-regional OPLL in the whole spine. Coexisting T-OLF was noted in nearly half of the subjects with OPLL. They advised a thorough assessment of whole spine, using CT, in patients with clinical symptoms induced by OPLL.