1987 Volume 36 Issue 1 Pages 125-127
The purpose of this paper is to describe the relation between ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament in the cervical spine (OPLL) and ankylosing hyperostosis of the spine (AH).
The radiograms of 10 patients who had AH with OPLL comprised the material for this study. The mean age of this group of patients was 64 years with a range from 49 to 81 years. There were 9 males and one female. Duration of follow-up study varied from 51 months to 128 months, the average being 87 months.
The main results found in this study were as follows;
1) Of the 10 patients studied, two advance in the stage of AH and all 10 pateients had growing of ossification of anterior longitudinal ligament in the spine.
2) Common type of OPLL with AH was cotinuous type in Seki's classification.
3) Five patients (50%) had growing of OPLL and advance in the stage of AH in cervical spine. Generally, these patients had the early stage. Four patients advanced from the first stage to the second stage and one patient advanced from the second stage to the third stage.
In cosideration of these results, it is important to pay attention to radiographic changes of the first stage of AH-predical nucleus and the changes along the anterior surface of vertebral bodies-to anticipate growing of OPLL.
