Abstract
We treated surgically 4 cases of thoracic myelopathy caused by ossification of yellow ligament and 1 case by calcification.
There were 2 males and 3 females. The duration between the occurrence of symptoms and the operation ranged from 2 months to 10 years (average, 32 months). The average age at surgery was 63.6 years.
The method of operation was a simultaneous decompressive wide laminectomy by Kirita.
The average JOA score of preoperation was 5 points and that of postoperation was 8.8 points: the meas recovery rate was 63.4%.
This operation for these thoracic myelopathy treated by wide laminectory achieved successful results, however, they were influenced by duration of the history rather than severity of preoperative clinical symptoms.
