title: Radiculopathy due to ossification of the yellow ligament at the lower lumbar spine.
abstract: METHODS
  A case report.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To report a rare case of a 27-year-old female with ossification of yellow ligament at the lower lumbar spine presenting radiculopathy with a drop foot.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The majority of cases of ossification of yellow ligament occur at the lower third of the thoracic or the thoracolumbar spine. There are only a few reports of ossification of yellow ligament in the lumbar spine and radiculopathy due to ossification of yellow ligament at L4-L5 and L5-S1 levels is very uncommon.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 27-year-old female with a prior fracture of posterior ring apophysis of L5 presented with leg pain and a drop foot. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated stenosis with compression of the cauda equina at the L4-L5 and L5-S1 levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Decompressive laminectomy of L5 and removal of the ossified yellow ligaments were performed. Histologic examination of en bloc specimen of ossification of yellow ligament revealed degenerative changes of the elastic fibers in the yellow ligament with adjacent chondrosis and ossification. The patient's severe leg pain disappeared completely, although the extent of the drop foot had not fully recovered at the final follow-up examination.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The mechanism of ossification of yellow ligament in the present case was unclear. The patient did not have any previous generalized disorders besides the history of a ring apophysial fracture or any family history of treatment for ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament or ossification of yellow ligament. Therefore, localized mechanical stress might have influenced the development of ossification of yellow ligament at lower lumbar spine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kobe Rosai Hospital, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomonori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yano
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Doita
authors.forename: Tetsuhiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iguchi
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kurihara
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kasahara
authors.forename: Kotaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nishida
authors.forename: Shinichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yoshiya
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008022:Ligaments / Q000473:pathology*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009999:Ossification, Heterotopic / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D011843:Radiculopathy / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D013130:Spinal Stenosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed