A Case of Cervical Myelopathy Caused by Calcium Deposition in the Ligamenta Flava Following Anterior Interbody Fusion

Abstract

A 70-year-old woman complaining of gait disturbance was admitted to our hospital in May, 1976. She was diagnosed as cervical spondylotic myelopathy and had C5-6 interbody fusion. The symptoms were improved thereafter but were aggravated rapidly without any cause in July, 1979, and she was re-admitted to ours. X-ray examinations showed one pair of radiopaque nodules adjacent to C4 and C5 laminae in the spinal canal, and her myelogram showed a block at the same level. The nodules were removed surgically and were confirmed to be calcifications of the ligamenta flava.