Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Centum Hospital, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2012 Nov 15;37(24):E1498-503. doi: 10.1097/BRS.0b013e31826efd89.
Retrospective clinical data analysis.
This study was conducted to analyze retrospectively the demographics, clinical presentation, and radiographical findings of ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) of the cervical spine in Korean patients, which could serve as a basis for further studies on and treatment of OPLL.
As the frequency of diagnosing the OPLL has been gradually increasing because of the increased importance and interest, it is important to understand the demographic characteristics of the disease.
Of 222 patients with a diagnosis of OPLL of the cervical spine, 146 patients were evaluated. Demographic features such as age and sex, and clinical features related to symptoms and treatments, were analyzed, and radiological features observed on plain radiographs, computerized tomography for 3-dimensional reconstruction, and magnetic resonance images were investigated.
Of the 146 subjects, 106 were male patients and 40 were female patients, which showed a male to female ratio of 2.65:1. The mean age of the subjects was 53.3 years. Neurological symptoms such as radiculopathy or myelopathy were observed in 109 patients (74.7%). Diagnosis of OPLL by plain radiography could not be ascertained in 19.9% of the patients. Ossification of paraspinal ligaments also accompanied OPLL in 86.3% of the subjects. Intramedullary high-signal intensity on T2-weighted sagittal plane magnetic resonance images was shown in 62 patients (42.5%). Concurrent herniated intervertebral disc was observed in 37 patients (25.3%).
The demographics, clinical presentation, and radiographical findings of OPLL of the cervical spine in Korean patients were analyzed, which could serve as a basis for further study on and treatment of OPLL. The classification method using plain radiographs has some limitation for disease treatment or prognosis. For the exact diagnosis and classification of the OPLL, computerized tomographic scan is more useful.
回顾性临床数据分析。
本研究旨在对韩国患者颈椎后纵韧带骨化症（OPLL）的人口统计学、临床表现和影像学表现进行回顾性分析，为进一步研究和治疗 OPLL 提供依据。
由于对 OPLL 的重视和兴趣逐渐增加，诊断频率也逐渐升高，因此了解疾病的人口统计学特征非常重要。
在 222 例颈椎 OPLL 患者中，对 146 例患者进行了评估。分析了年龄、性别等人口统计学特征以及与症状和治疗相关的临床特征，并对颈椎正位片、三维 CT 重建和磁共振图像上观察到的影像学特征进行了研究。
146 例患者中，男性 106 例，女性 40 例，男女比例为 2.65:1。患者平均年龄为 53.3 岁。109 例（74.7%）患者出现神经根病或脊髓病等神经症状。19.9%的患者无法通过平片诊断 OPLL。86.3%的患者伴有脊柱旁韧带骨化。62 例（42.5%）患者在 T2 加权矢状面磁共振图像上显示髓内高信号强度。37 例（25.3%）患者并发椎间盘突出。
对韩国患者颈椎 OPLL 的人口统计学、临床表现和影像学表现进行了分析，为进一步研究和治疗 OPLL 提供了依据。基于平片的分类方法在疾病治疗或预后方面存在一定局限性。对于 OPLL 的准确诊断和分类，CT 扫描更为有用。
