title: Surgical treatments of myelopathy caused by cervical ligamentum flavum ossification.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To present a small case series reporting the outcomes of surgical treatment for myelopathy caused by cervical ossification of the ligamentum flavum (OLF).
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors assessed 15 cases of myelopathy caused by cervical OLF. Patients were eight women and seven men 37-75 years old (mean age 59.7 years). All patients underwent bilateral laminectomy, and the lesions were removed. The decompression range was confined within the medial sides of the bilateral facets and within the involved segments. Intraoperative specimens were examined histologically to confirm the diagnosis. During the operation, the extent of adherence of the lesions to the dura was recorded. The patients were followed for 3-70 months. Neurofunctional improvements were evaluated with the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Definite adherences were present in 67.7% of all cases. JOA score showed a 71.5% improvement after operation from a preoperative score of 5-8 (mean 6.4) to a postoperative score of 10-14 (mean 13.5). The operative outcomes were satisfactory without extensive decompression of adjacent segments.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A high rate of adherence to the dura was observed in patients with myelopathy caused by cervical OLF. Bilateral laminectomy and removal of the lesions, without extensive decompression of adjacent segments, provides an optimistic prognosis.
authors: Department of Orthopedics, Changzheng Hospital, The Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors: Jian
authors: J
authors: Yang
authors: Bin
authors: B
authors: Ni
authors: Ning
authors: N
authors: Xie
authors: Qunfeng
authors: Q
authors: Guo
authors: Liangzhe
authors: L
authors: Wang