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Updated: Apr 15, 2026

Laminectomy for the Removal of Thoracic Ossification of the Ligamentum Flavum TOLF Using Ultrasonic and Conventional Osteotomes
Published on: April 21, 2023
Osteochondroma arising from a lumbar facet joint in a 16-year-old
Graeme E Hancock1, Chrishan Mariathas, James A Fernandes
1aDepartment of Trauma and Orthopaedics, Northern General Hospital, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals bDepartment of Trauma and Orthopaedics, Sheffield Children's Hospital, Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield, UK.
Abstract:
Osteochondromas are benign tumours of bony or cartilaginous origin, which may be solitary or multiple. They are rare in the axial skeleton and have previously been reported to arise from facet joints only in four cases in the English literature. We report the case of a 16-year-old girl who presented with a palpable bony lump and a short history of back pain. Imaging showed a bony lesion arising from a left-sided facet joint in the lumbar spine. Following excision biopsy, there was complete resolution of symptoms. The literature on the origin and management of spinal osteochondromas is discussed.
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