Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-mkpzs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T14:40:19.611Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Cervical Myelopathy Secondary to Ossification of the Posterior Longitudinal Ligament in a Caucasian Patient

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 September 2015

B. Maroun Falah*
Affiliation:
Division of Neurosurgery, Division of Orthopaedics (P.G.P.), Division of Neurology (R.A., J.C.J.), Department of Radiology (R.R.), General Hospital, Health Sciences Centre, St. John’s, Newfoundland
P. Makino Akira*
Affiliation:
Division of Neurosurgery, Division of Orthopaedics (P.G.P.), Division of Neurology (R.A., J.C.J.), Department of Radiology (R.R.), General Hospital, Health Sciences Centre, St. John’s, Newfoundland
R.S. Tong Tommy*
Affiliation:
Division of Neurosurgery, Division of Orthopaedics (P.G.P.), Division of Neurology (R.A., J.C.J.), Department of Radiology (R.R.), General Hospital, Health Sciences Centre, St. John’s, Newfoundland
G. Perkins Philip*
Affiliation:
Division of Neurosurgery, Division of Orthopaedics (P.G.P.), Division of Neurology (R.A., J.C.J.), Department of Radiology (R.R.), General Hospital, Health Sciences Centre, St. John’s, Newfoundland
Arts Rudolph*
Affiliation:
Division of Neurosurgery, Division of Orthopaedics (P.G.P.), Division of Neurology (R.A., J.C.J.), Department of Radiology (R.R.), General Hospital, Health Sciences Centre, St. John’s, Newfoundland
C. Jacob Jacob*
Affiliation:
Division of Neurosurgery, Division of Orthopaedics (P.G.P.), Division of Neurology (R.A., J.C.J.), Department of Radiology (R.R.), General Hospital, Health Sciences Centre, St. John’s, Newfoundland
Reddy R.*
Affiliation:
Division of Neurosurgery, Division of Orthopaedics (P.G.P.), Division of Neurology (R.A., J.C.J.), Department of Radiology (R.R.), General Hospital, Health Sciences Centre, St. John’s, Newfoundland
*
Division of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Health Sciences Centre, 300 Prince Philip Drive, St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada A1B 3V6
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract:

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Cervical myelopathy consequent on ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) is very rare in Caucasians. A 65-year-old Anglo-Saxon woman developed progressive gait disturbance, paresthesia in both legs and urinary urge incontinence. Radiological examination showed OPLL from fifth to seventh cervical vertebral level; the dense OPLL was graphically displayed by three-dimensional computerized tomography. Medial corpectomy, C5 to C7, and removal of OPLL, with subsequent fusion C4 to Tl using a free fibula graft resulted in clinical improvement. Three dimensional computerized tomographic imaging is a valuable diagnostic procedure in OPLL.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Neurological Sciences Federation 1993

References

REFERENCES

1.Abe, H, Tsuru, M, Ito, T, Iwasaki, Y, Koiwa, M.Anterior decompression for ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament of the cervical spine. J Neurosurg 1981; 55: 108116.Google Scholar
2.Harsh, GR IV, Sypert, GW, Weinstein, PR, Ross, DA, Wilson, CB.Cervical spine stenosis secondary to ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament. J Neurosurg 1987; 67: 349357.Google Scholar
3.Terayama, K, Maruyama, S, Miyashita, R, et al. [Ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament in the cervical spine.] Orthop Surg 1965; 15: 10831095 (Jpn).Google Scholar
4.Hiramatsu, Y, Nobechi, T.Calcification of the posterior longitudinal ligament of the spine among Japanese. Radiology 1971; 100: 307312.Google Scholar
5.Okamota, Y, Yasuma, T.Ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament of cervical spine with and without myelopathy. J Jap Ortho Assoc 1967: 40: 13491360.Google Scholar
6.Singh, A, Jolly, SS, Bansal, BC, Mathur, CC.Endemic fluorosis.Epidemiological, clinical and biochemical study of chronic fluorine intoxication in Panjab (India). Medicine 1963; 42: 229246.Google Scholar
7.Tezuki, A, Yamada, K, Ikata, T, Kitagami, Y, Yonezawa, M.Ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament of the cervical spine; its pathogenesis and treatment. Tokushima J Exp Med 1976; 23: 1928.Google Scholar
8.Tsukimoto, H.Autopsy case with spinal cord compression syn drome secondary to intra-spinal ossification. (In Japanese Case). J Jap Ortho Assoc 1960; 34: 107.Google Scholar
9.Yoshikawa, S, Shiba, M, Suzuki, A.Spinal cord compression in untreated adult cases of vitamin D-resistant rickets. J Bone Joint Surg 1968; 50-A(4): 743752.Google Scholar
10.Yamauchi, H.Roentgenographic investigation of the ossification of the cervical posterior longitudinal ligament in the United States of America. Orthop Surg (Jap) 1977; 28: 757765.Google Scholar
11.Izawa, K.Comparative roentgenographical study on the incidence of ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament and other degenerative changes of the cervical spine among Japanese, Koreans, Americans and Germans. Nippon Seikeigeka Gakkai Zasshi 1980; 54: 461469.Google Scholar
12.Lee, T, Chacha, PB, Orth, MCh and Khoo, J.Ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament of the cervical spine in non-Japanese Asians. Surg Neurol 1991; 35: 4044.Google Scholar
13.Dong, FC.Ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament of cervical spine (in Chinese). Chung Hua Wai Ko Tsa Chih 1980; 18: 392394.Google Scholar
14.Bakay, L, Cares, HL, Smith, RJ.Ossification in the region of the posterior longitudinal ligament as a cause of cervical myelopathy. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 1970; 33: 263268.Google Scholar
15.Briedal, P.Ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament in the cervical spine. “The Japanese disease” occurring in patients of British descent. Australas Radiol 1969; 13: 311313.Google Scholar
16.Hyman, TA, Merten, JB, Stein, HL.Computed tomography in ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament. Neuroradiology 1977; 3: 227228.Google Scholar
17.Minagi, H, Groner, AT.Calcification of the posterior longitudinal ligament: a cause of cervical myelopathy. Am J Roentgnol 1969; 105(2): 365369.Google Scholar
18.Palacios, E, Brackett, CE, Leary, DJ.Ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament associated with a herniated intervertebral disc. Radiology 1977; 100: 313314.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
19.Nagashima, C.Cervical myelopathy due to ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament. J Neurosurg 1971; 37: 636660.Google Scholar
20.Philip, DG.Surgical treatment of myelopathy with cervical spondylosis. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 1973; 36: 879884.Google Scholar
21.Hanai, K, Fujiyoshi, F, Kamei, K.Subtotal vertebrectomy and spinal fusion for cervical spondy lotie myelopathy. Spine 1986; 11: 310315.Google Scholar
22.Adams, CBT, Logue, V.Studies in cervical spondylotic myelopathy. III. Some functional effect of operations for cervical spondylotic myelopathy. Brain 1971; 94: 587594.Google Scholar
23.Bohlman, HH.Cervical spondylosis with moderate to severe myelo-pathy. A report of seventeen cases treated by Robinson anterior cervical discectomy and fusion. Spine 1977; 2: 151162.Google Scholar
24.Kojima, T, Waga, S, Kubo, Y, et al. Anterior cervical vertebrectomy and interbody fusion for multi-level spondylosis and ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament. Neurosurgery 1989; 24(6): 864872.Google Scholar
25.Manabe, S, Momura, S.Anterior decompression for ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament of the cervical spine. J Bone Joint Surg (Br) 1974; 56: 3036.Google Scholar
26.Tornita, K, Momura, S, Umeda, S, Baba, H.Cervical laminoplasty to enlarge the spinal canal in multilevel ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament with myelopathy. Arch Orthop Trauma Surg 1988; 107: 148153.Google Scholar