Hi Susie - Mig is right on. There can indeed be fusing in women with AS. The President of the French SA Association, has complete fusion of her spine. She was fused in a bamboo position and underwent an op, pretty much the same op as Ineptwill (Alan) underwent. She is now straight up and down, with rods and screws.
As for Mig's X-ray results, mine of the cervical and thoracic spine are very similar (don't have scans of anywhere else - radiologist was saving money that day!) Only I have fractures, bone marrow oedema, Romanus lesions, shiny corners - the rest are as Mig.
Now these findings are prob similar for many spondy women.
As Mig correctly points out, a nuclear bone scan is very useful,
superb for showing up inflammation, light up like to Blackpool Tower! Otherwise see if you can get an MRI Saggital STIR imaging done (my findings did not show up with the standard MRI imaging, my consultant was fairly sure of an AS DX for me, so she sent me back for the S. STIR scans which showed up the problems, including the fractures.)
