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Turkish Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
2016 , Vol 62 , Num 1
Thoracic ossification of ligamentum flavum without myelopathy: a case report of dorsal pain
2 Department of Pyhsical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Bafra State Hospital, Samsun, Turkey DOI : 10.5152/tftrd.2015.75547 Spinal stenosis of the thorax is a less recognized and less common condition than other regions. A variety of disorders such as facet hypertrophy, anterior disc protrusion, spondylotic spurs, ossified posterior longitudinal ligament, ligamentum flavum hypertrophy or ossification may lead to stenosis. Lower thoracic segments (T9-12) are most frequently involved. Ossification of ligamentum flavum, which is a major cause of thoracic stenosis in Japanese population, is uncommon in Caucasians. Numbness of the leg, followed by paraparesis, and leg pain are the most common initial symptoms, while a minority of patients have trunkal pain as an initial symptom. In this report, we present an unusual case of thoracic stenosis in a Caucasian patient with trunkal pain as an initial symptom and ossification of ligamentum flavum in the upper thoracic region. Keywords : Dorsal pain; ligamentum flavum; ossification; spinal stenosis