title: [Clinical characteristics and results of cervical spinal cord injury in the patients with ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the clinical characteristics and results of cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) in the patients with ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL).
  
  
  METHODS
  Nineteen patients with cervical SCI associated with OPLL were retrospectively analyzed. Data collection included: pre- and postoperative neurological function, OPLL-type, MRI signal changes and surgical approaches.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Spinal cord associated with OPLL was injured severely by mild trauma. Methylprednisolone sodium succinate was used within 8 h after trauma in 12 cases. Two of them died of complications. The neurological functions were markedly improved in the other 10 cases. Seventeen cases had surgical treatment. The neurological functions (Frankel grade) were improved significantly in the operated patients except for one, who died 27 d after operation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The patients with OPLL are prone to have severe SCI, which directly associates with the preexisting OPLL-type and hyper-intensity signal change in the spinal cord on MRI. Both of using methylprednisolone sodium succinate administration within 8 h after trauma and surgical decompression may improve the neurological outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200003, China. chenspine@yahoo.com
authors.forename: De-yu
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Zhi-min
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Hua-jiang
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xin-wei
authors.initials: XW
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yong-fei
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Hai-Song
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Hai-Jun
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Tian
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae; D019299:Decompression, Surgical; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D017846:Longitudinal Ligaments / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017887:Ossification of Posterior Longitudinal Ligament / Q000150:complications*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D013130:Spinal Stenosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids