Department of Orthopaedics, Shijiazhuang No. 3 Hospital China.
Am J Transl Res. 2013 Sep 25;5(6):582-5.
Ossification of Ligamentum Flavum (OLF) is associated with serious neurologic symptoms including thoracic myelopathy and spinal stenosis. The pathogenesis of thoracic OLF is mainly due to the localized mechanical stress on the ligament induced enchondral ossification. However, despite numerous epidemiological and basic science studies, the mechanism of this process remains unclear. Studies have suggested that inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-6, TNF-α, seem to play a crucial role in OLF. In this review, we summarise the mechanistic information on the roles of inflammation cytokines in OLF and discuss about several therapeutic methods for OLF. Further studies on the role of cytokines in OLF should provide important insights into the designation of therapeutic strategies in preventing human spinal stenosis caused by OLF.
黄韧带骨化（OLF）与严重的神经症状有关，包括胸髓病和椎管狭窄。胸段 OLF 的发病机制主要是由于韧带的局部机械应力引起的软骨内成骨。然而，尽管进行了大量的流行病学和基础科学研究，但其机制仍不清楚。研究表明，炎症细胞因子，如 IL-6、TNF-α，似乎在 OLF 中发挥着关键作用。在这篇综述中，我们总结了炎症细胞因子在 OLF 中的作用的机制信息，并讨论了几种 OLF 的治疗方法。进一步研究细胞因子在 OLF 中的作用，应为预防 OLF 引起的人类椎管狭窄症的治疗策略设计提供重要的见解。
