Sagittal imbalance in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis and outcomes after simple decompression surgery

Background Context

Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is the most common lumbar degenerative disease, and sagittal imbalance is uncommon. Forward-bending posture, which is primarily caused by buckling of the ligamentum flavum, may be improved via simple decompression surgery.

腰椎管狭窄症合并黄韧带囊肿1例报道

正患者,男,69岁,主因"腰痛伴左下肢疼痛1年,伴间歇性跛行5个月,加重2个月"于2016年11月7日入院。患者1年前左下肢疼痛,以左臀部及大腿外后侧为重,为间断性钝痛,5个月前出现间歇性跛行,4个月核磁检查:L_(4,5)间盘水平左侧黄韧带内见一小类圆形长T1长T2信号影,边界清晰,硬膜囊受     

退变性胸椎管狭窄症的诊断和手术治疗

目的总结退变性胸椎管狭窄症的临床特点、诊断方法和手术治疗效果。方法回顾总结获随访22例经过手术治疗的退变性胸椎管狭窄症患者的临床资料。首发症状:发病节段以下麻木15例,下肢无力4例,胸背痛3例。所有患者均行X片检查,14例行脊髓造影,16例CT扫描,其中14例为CTM检查,12例MRI检查。病变节段:单节段12例,连续两个或两个以上节段7例,跳跃式节段3例。单节段者病变位置:T1-41例;T5-83例;T9-L18例。手术方式:后路椎管后壁切除术13例,侧前方入路行减压术2例,前后路联合减压手术3例,后路环椎管减压术4例。随访时间最长64个月,最短8个月,平均36个月。结果18位患者症状有不同程度改善,有效率为81.8%。根据JOA评分标准,术后2周改善率为81.3%,最后一次随访时改善率为87.5%。结论退变性胸椎管狭窄症多发生在胸椎下段,多节段受累常见;CT和MRI是胸椎管狭窄症的主要影像诊断手段;手术治疗是唯一选择,根据胸椎管狭窄症的临床特征选择适当的手术方式,可获得满意效果。     

Coexistence of flavum ligament ossification with diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis in the cervical spine: Review of literature and technical note starting from a rare case

BackgroundCervical flavum ligament ossification (C-OLF) is very rare source of myeloradiculopathy. Less than 100 cases have been reported in modern English literature up to 2020. Association between C-OLF and Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis (DISH) at cervical level has never been described.MethodsIn this article we performed a systematic review about epidemiology, physiopathology, clinical and surgical management of C-OLF. Moreover, we research its possible association with other cervical spine ligament ossification and in particular with anterior longitudinal ligament ossification. We report a case of 73 years-old woman experiencing mild cervical myeloradiculopathy caused by C6-C7 C-OLF compression and coexistence of DISH at cervico-thoracic level. A brief technical note about intraoperative management of C-OLF has also been described.ResultOur research found 81 previous reported case of C-OLF. The coexistence of Posterior longitudinal ligament ossification has been reported in 21.3% of C-OLF case. Conversely, we reported the first case describing the association between DISH and C-OLF. Posterior surgical decompression is the only useful treatment providing good long-term functional outcome. Instrumentation should be tailored according to pre-operative findings.ConclusionsC-OLF is a rare source of myeloradiculopathy and it may coexists with DISH probably due to alteration in the cervical mechanical stress and tendency of bone formation in patients harboring coexistent ligament ossifications. According to our result, skip en-bloc microsurgical laminectomy is safe and less invasive method to avoid complication and to provide optimal cervical spinal cord and nerve decompression avoiding CSF-leak.     

Prevalence and related clinical factors of thoracic ossification of the ligamentum flavum—a computed tomography-based cross-sectional study

Background Text

Thoracic ossification of the ligamentum flavum (TOLF) is an uncommon pathology, but it may sometimes grow and cause serious neurologic manifestations. Little has been demonstrated yet about the epidemiology and etiology of TOLF.

Prevalence,Distribution, and Significance of Incidental Thoracic Ossification of the Ligamentum Flavum in Korean Patients with Back or Leg Pain : MR-Based Cross Sectional Study

Objective

Thoracic ossification of the ligamentum flavum (OLF) is a relatively rare disease. Because of ambiguous clinical symptom, it is difficult for early diagnosis of OLF and subsequent treatment can be delayed or missed. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to comprehensively assess the prevalence and distribution of thoracic OLF by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and coexisting spinal disease in Korean patients with back pain or leg pain.

Methods

The sample included 2134 Korean patients who underwent MRI evaluation for back pain. The prevalence and distribution of thoracic OLF were assessed using lumbar MRI with whole spine sagittal images. Additionally, we examined the presence of coexisting lumbar and cervical diseases. The presence of thoracic OLF as well as clinical parameters such as age, sex, and surgery were retrospectively reviewed.

Results

The prevalence of thoracic OLF in total patients was 16.9% (360/2134). The prevalence tended to increase with aging and was higher in women than in men. The lower thoracic segment of T10-11 was the most frequently affected segment. Of the 360 patients with OLF, 31.9% had coexisting herniated thoracic discs at the same level. Approximately 74% of the patients with OLF had coexisting lumbar and cervical disease. Nine (2.5%) of 360 OLF patients underwent surgery for thoracic lesion.

Conclusion

The prevalenceof thoracic OLF was relatively higher than those of previous reports. And coexisting lumbar and cervical disease were very frequent. Therefore, we should check coexisting spinal diseases and the exact diagnostic localization of ossification besides lumbar disease.     

弥漫性特发性骨质增生症骨化相关特异性miRNAs分析

 目的 三维黏附培养下获得并分析弥漫性特发性骨质增生症(diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis,DISH)骨化相关特异性miRNAs。方法 2012年1月至2014年1月通过手术分别获取4份DISH患者骨化黄韧带组织块与4份创伤患者正常黄韧带组织块,采用胶原酶消化法分离组织块中成纤维细胞,在人完全脱细胞羊膜(human acellular amniotic membrane,HAAM)上培养,收获前进行细胞免疫荧光鉴定;提取细胞总RNA并检测其质量,通过YM-100 (Millipore) 微离心过滤柱得到片段< 300 nt的小RNA,采用μParaflo? miRNA微阵列基因表达实验和分析技术分析miRNAs表达谱,对结果中部分差异miRNAs进行qRT-PCR验证;采用PicTar 2005、miRanda v5、TargetScan 5.1软件预测靶基因;使用Gene Ontology进行靶基因功能注释,基于KEGG Pathway数据库分析靶基因所参与的骨化相关信号传导通路;使用TRANSFAC 7.0 public转录因子数据库及Patser预测程序预测转录因子结合位点。结果 成纤维细胞在HAAM上生长时形态保持良好,呈簇状分布,复层生长并建立起细胞间联系; 免疫荧光鉴定发现DISH组细胞骨钙素和Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ型胶原呈阳性,正常组细胞Ⅰ和Ⅲ型胶原呈阳性;共获得15种信号比值>1.5倍差异表达的miRNAs,12种上调、3种下调,qRT-PCR验证结果与微阵列芯片检测结果一致;共预测出 67个靶基因,影响细胞分化、黏附及矿物质沉积等活动,参与MAPK、Wnt、TGF-β、Focal adhesion等多个骨化相关信号途径,预测出10种差异性miRNAs的转录因子。结论 HAAM可实现成纤维细胞在体外三维黏附下生长,部分miRNAs的异常表达可能参与DISH发病。     

黄韧带骨化胸椎管狭窄脊髓受压的手术治疗

目的：探讨黄韧带骨化胸椎管狭窄脊髓受压的手术治疗方法和疗效。方法选择16例胸椎管黄韧带骨化致椎管狭窄症患者,均采用后路椎管分层薄化切除减压钉棒系统内固定并后外侧植骨融合的手术方法进行治疗。术后手术疗效采用日本骨科协会（Japanese Orthopedic Association, JOA）评分进行评价。结果术后患者均获得随访,末次随访时患者束带感均消失,11例下肢麻木、无力、疼痛完全消失,4例部分消失,1例无明显恢复。术前JOA评分平均（4.2±2.5）分,术后平均（7.8±1.9）分。术后恢复率为33.3%～100%,16例中优8例,良4例,可4例,优良率75%。所有病例内固定位置良好,植骨融合,无松动及假关节形成。结论采用后路椎管分层薄化切除减压钉棒系统内固定并后外侧植骨融合治疗胸椎管黄韧带骨化胸椎管狭窄症,手术安全可靠,疗效确切。     

椎板薄化分解揭盖法治疗胸椎黄韧带骨化合并脊髓病

目的：探讨椎板薄化分解揭盖法治疗胸椎黄韧带骨化合并脊髓病的疗效。方法：1999年1月至2009年1月采用椎板薄化分解揭盖减压、植骨融合术治疗胸椎黄韧带骨化合并脊髓病患者126例,男73例,女53例,年龄35～71岁,平均50．2岁。压迫位于上胸段28例,中胸段32例,下胸段66例。采用改良日本骨科协会（JapaneseOrthopaedicAssociation,JOA）下肢运动功能评分、括约肌功能评分以及参照Epstein和Schwall标准评估疗效。摄胸椎正尧侧位X线片,行CT及MRI扫描,观察植骨融合情况。结果：116例患者获得随访,随访时间12—96个月,平均49．5个月。术前括约肌功能JOA评分为（1．981-0．543）分;术后为（2．654-0．413）分;术前下肢运动功能JOA评分为（1．196-0．964）分,术后为（3．720-0．709）分;术前及术后比较差异均有统计学意义。按Epstein和Schwall评分标准,优73例,良31例,可9例,差3例;优良率89．7％。术后6例发生脊髓损伤,给予营养神经药物治疗后好转。5例发生脑脊液漏,给予床尾抬高30。,行保守治疗治愈。2例发生切口浅表感染,给予换药处理后愈合。术后6个月111例患者植骨融合。末次随访时所有患者植骨均获得骨性融合。结论：椎板薄化分解揭盖法对脊髓侵袭小,手术安全性可靠,疗效确切。