Skip to main content
Log in

Ossification of the ligamentum flavum

A case report and its MRI finding

  • Case Reports
  • Published:
Neuroradiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

A case of thoracic myelopathy due to ossification of the ligamentum flavum is presented. A fifty-five year old female complained of sensory and motor disturbance of lower limbs. Neuroradiologically, in addition to ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament throughout the spines, ossified ligamenta flava were found at the Th10–11 level and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) clearly showed the spinal cord compressed at the same level by a low-intensity-signal lesion. Laminectomy and removal of the ossfied ligamenta flava improved her neurological dysfunction. The usefulness of the MRI in the neuroradiological diagnosis was confirmed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Nagashima C (1972) Cervical myelopathy due to ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament. J Neurosurg 37: 653–660

    Google Scholar 

  2. Ono K, Ota H, Tada K (1977) Ossified posterior longitudinal ligament. A clinico-pathological study. Spine 2:126–138

    Google Scholar 

  3. The Investigation Committee on OPLL of the Japanese Ministry of Public Health and Welfare (1981) The ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament of the spine (OPLL) J Jpn Orthop Assoc 55:425–440

    Google Scholar 

  4. Beamer YB, Garner JT, Shelden CH (1973) Hypetrophied ligamentum flavum. Clinical and surgical significance. Arch Surg 106:289–292

    Google Scholar 

  5. Fujimura Y, Higuchi M, Nakai S, Watanabe T, Manzoku S, Shibata K, Ohtani K (1981) Surgical treatment for thoracic myelopathy due to spinal canal stenosis. Clin Orthop (Tokyo) 16:51–62

    Google Scholar 

  6. Ikata T, Takeuchi R, Yonezawa M, Takada K, Naruse A, Yamaoka K, Yagi S (1981) Vascular factors in the myelopathy associated with thoracic spinal canal stenosis. Clin Orthop (Tokyo) 16:43–50

    Google Scholar 

  7. Jøhnsson KE, Petersson H, Wollheim F, Säveland H (1983) Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis causing spinal stenosis and sudden paraplegia. J Rheumatol 10:784–789

    Google Scholar 

  8. Kaneda K, Satoh E, Higuchi M, Nobara H, Koguma T, Honma S, Mitsuzaki A, Fujitani M (1981) Thoracic spinal canal stenosis due to ossification of the spinal canal ligaments. Clin Orthop (Tokyo) 16:63–74

    Google Scholar 

  9. Kodama T, Ohkubo K, Matsukado Y (1979) Myelopathy due to ossified ligamenta flava in lower thoracic region. Neurol Surg (Tokyo) 7:867–873

    Google Scholar 

  10. Nagashima C (1975) Myelopathy due to ossification of the posterior longitudinal and the yellow ligament. Saigai-igaku 18:671–683

    Google Scholar 

  11. Omojola MF, Cardoso ER, Fox AJ, Drake CG, Durward QJ (1982) Thoracic myelopathy secondary to ossified ligamentum flavum. Case report. J Neurosurg 56:448–450

    Google Scholar 

  12. Yatsuzuka H, Kitajima T, Taguchi Y, Sakai H, Nakamura N (1986) A case of ossified yellow ligament in thoraco-lumbar region and magnetic resonance imaging. Neurol Surg (Tokyo) 14:1121–1125

    Google Scholar 

  13. Yonenobu K, Ebara S, Fujiwara K, Yamashita K, Ono K, Yamamoto T, Harada N, Ogino H, Ojima S (1987) Thoracic myelopathy secondary to ossification of the spinal ligament. J Neurosurg 66:511–518

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Enomoto, H., Kuwayama, N., Katsumata, T. et al. Ossification of the ligamentum flavum. Neuroradiology 30, 571–573 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00339704

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00339704

Key words

Navigation