Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 1, 2026
Laminectomy for the Removal of Thoracic Ossification of the Ligamentum Flavum (TOLF) Using Ultrasonic and Conventional Osteotomes
Published on: April 21, 2023
Surgical treatments of myelopathy caused by cervical ligamentum flavum ossification
1Department of Orthopedics, Changzheng Hospital, The Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
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.