Intermittent claudication of the spinal cord due to ossification of the ligamentum flavum. A report of two cases.
Two patients are described who developed intermittent claudication of the spinal cord which caused spastic paraparesis during walking. The cause in both was multi-level ossification of the ligamentum flavum. Epidural spinal cord evoked potentials showed disappearance of the third negative component in one case, and positive-going waves in the most compressed area. Both patients had excellent neurological improvement after resection of the ossified ligament.
Baba
H
H
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Fukui Medical School, Japan.
Komita
T
T
Maesawa
Y
Y
Imura
S
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005071:Evoked Potentials; D006801:Humans; D007383:Intermittent Claudication / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D008022:Ligaments / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D009999:Ossification, Heterotopic / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D011859:Radiography; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000098:blood supply*; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae