Radiology, Vol 143, 469-474, Copyright © 1982 by Radiological Society of North America
Ossification of the thoracic posterior longitudinal ligament in a fixed population. Radiological and neurological manifestations
M Ono, WJ Russell, S Kudo, Y Kuroiwa, M Takamori, S Motomura and J Murakami
Reportedly, ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL)
usually involves the cervical spine and often accompanies other ligamentous
ossification such as diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH). It is
considered serious because it sometimes causes severe radiculomyelopathy;
however, the present study, based on a fixed population sample, revealed
that OPLL of the thoracic spine is nearly always asymptomatic. The
prevalence of thoracic OPLL was 0.6%, with three times as many women as men
being affected, compared with cervical OPLL which occurs predominantly
among men. No marked radiculomyelopathy was observed, nor definite evidence
of neurological involvement due to thoracic OPLL. DISH was rare, especially
among women.
