title: "Thickened" ligamentum flavum caused by laminectomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a laminectomy on the adjacent ligamentum flavum (LF) by measuring LF thickness using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 78 patients (31 man, 47 woman) with laminectomy were included in our study. After determination of laminectomy level, measurements were done from the thickest parts of the bilateral LF at the upper level of the laminectomy where bilateral facet joints were evident at the slice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ipsilateral ligamentum flavum with laminectomy was significantly thicker than the contralateral ligamentum flavum with laminectomy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Laminectomy cause thickening of ligamentum flavum. Therefore we assume that it should kept in mind that LFH may develop at the adjacent level to the laminectomy and careful clinical and radiological assessments' should be done to exclude LFH in cases who complain about the recurrence of complaints during the post-operative period after laminectomy.
authors.affiliation: Tekirdağ Private Yasam Hospital, Department of Radiology, Tekirdag, Turkey.
authors.forename: Fatma Bahar Hacıoğlu
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Kasım
authors.affiliation: Izmir Katip Celebi University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Izmir, Turkey. Electronic address: drozgurtosun@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ozgur
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Tosun
authors.affiliation: Tekirdağ Private Yasam Hospital, Department of Neurosurgery, Tekirdag, Turkey.
authors.forename: Emin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kasım
authors.affiliation: Ankara Ataturk Education and Research Hospital, Department of Radiology, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Karabekir
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ercan
authors.affiliation: Izmir Katip Celebi University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Turkey.
authors.forename: Aliye
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tosun
authors.affiliation: Yildirim Beyazit University, Ankara Ataturk Education and Research Hospital, Department of Radiology, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Halil
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Arslan
authors.affiliation: R.T. Erdogan University, Ankara Ataturk Education and Research Hospital, Department of Radiology, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karaoğlanoğlu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D007796:Laminectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D017843:Ligamentum Flavum / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology
keywords: Laminectomy; Ligamentum flavum; Magnetic resonance imaging