Characteristics of Ligamentum Flavum Hypertrophy in Developmental Spinal Stenosis

Dr Cheung, Jason Pui Yin   (Principal Investigator (PI))

Professor Cheung Kenneth Man Chee   (Co-Investigator)

Dr Samartzis Dino   (Co-Investigator)

12

2014-06-01

61495

Characteristics of Ligamentum Flavum Hypertrophy in Developmental Spinal Stenosis

Histology, ligamentum flavum hypertrophy, Spine, Stenosis

Orthopaedics/Traumatology

AOSEA(R)2014-02

AOSpine International - General Award

2014

Completed

Hypothetically, if the patients with developmental spinal stenosis can be identified at the index operation, reoperation at adjacent levels can be avoided with prophylactic canal widening surgery. This may lead to an overall better function for the patients since they can avoid repeated operations. If our hypothesis is true, these patients may have a lesser degree of ligamentum hypertrophy and thickening found on MRI. Identification of the involved segment may be more difficult as the degenerative changes are not as apparent. This could revolutionize the approach to MRI assessment and decision making for surgery. Clinicians cannot base their surgical decision on whether clinical symptoms correlate with the degree of degenerative changes but rather a multi-faceted approach including the clinical presentation, bony spinal canal diameters and degree of ligamentum hypertrophy. The aim of study is to further understand the phenotype of developmental spinal stenosis. Our hypothesis is that patients with developmental narrowing of the spinal canal only require a smaller degree of disc degeneration and ligamentum flavum hypertrophy to develop symptoms as compared to the degenerative type of spinal stenosis.