Abstract
The histological morphometry of the spinal process was performed in order to investigate the difference of bone metabolism between the ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligaments (OPLL) and the cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). The 7th cervicsl spine was elected for site of measurement because of a large size, its uniformity of the shape. Fortunately, it is often included as a site of laminectomy of the cervical spine.
There was no meaningful difference between OPLL and CSM as to each parameter of the morphometry, when the specimen was compared as a whole.
However, the difference was found in some parameters, if the area of the specimen was divided into two sections, which were a tip of the process and remained area. When tVsp and FrFS were elected for the parameters, the tip ares indicated higher scores than the remained aera in both group of patients. Especially the difference of FrFS between two sections was statistically larger in the OPLL group than in the CSM group (p<0.05).
These results showed that the metabolic rate of the area where much mechanical stress was loaded was accelerated, and possibly indicated that the bone metabolism was inherently accelerated to some degree in OPLL patients.
