Ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligaments: a cause of spinal stenosis syndrome

Spinal Stenosis Syndrome (SSS) causes varying radiculopathies and myelopathies by compressing the spinal cord, rootlets and nerves within the bony canal. An enlarged and ossified posterior longitudinal ligament, a rare cause of the syndrome, can occupy up to 80% of the cervical spinal canal resulting in severe, sometimes permanent myelopathy. The clinical and the radiographic findings are discussed.