1995 Volume 44 Issue 3 Pages 1000-1004
Some patients with ossification of the yellow ligament of the thoracic spine (OYL) have been reported as achieving poor results following surgery. We investigated the factors affecting postoperative prognosis of OYL in our cases.
Since 1984, ten patients with OYL have been operated in our hospital. Nine were available for follow-up. Four were male and five were female. The age at operation ranged from 34 to 77 years (mean age 58.4 years). Average symptomatic period prior to surgery was 22 months. The JOA score improved from a mean of 4.6 pre-operatively to 7.6 after surgery. Patients who were either elderly or had a long period of symptoms tended to achieve poorer results after surgery. Severe stenosis on CT (or CTM) and combined OPLL of cervical or thoracic spine seemed to influence their prognosis to some degree.
