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Diagnosis of OPLL and OLF: Overview

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OPLL

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Abstract

Recent progress in image diagnosis technology enables us to detect numerous new findings for the diagnosis of ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) and ossification of the ligamentum flavum (OLF). In most cases of cervical OPLL and thoracic OPLL/OLF, not only static compression, but also dynamic factors contribute to the development and aggravation of the myelopathy. The rationale for posterior decompression and fusion (PDF) surgery is to suppress the motion at the nonossified segment of OPLL by stabilization. The K-line is a simple and practical parameter with utility for decisions regarding the surgical approach to cervical OPLL. Sufficient posterior shift of the spinal cord and neurological improvement will not be obtained after laminoplasty in K-line (−) OPLL patients. Multicenter CT studies of ossification of the spinal ligament have been performed by the Japanese Research Group for Ossification of the Spinal Ligament to evaluate the prevalence of OPLL in the whole spine.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba City, Ibaraki, Japan

    Masashi Yamazaki, Tetsuya Abe, Toru Funayama & Masao Koda

  2. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba, Japan

    Hiroshi Takahashi, Satoshi Maki & Takeo Furuya

Authors
  1. Masashi Yamazaki
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  2. Tetsuya Abe
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  3. Toru Funayama
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  4. Hiroshi Takahashi
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  5. Satoshi Maki
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  6. Takeo Furuya
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  7. Masao Koda
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Masashi Yamazaki .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan

    Atsushi Okawa

  2. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Keio University, Shinjyuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan

    Morio Matsumoto

  3. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Osaka Rosai Hospital, Sakai, Osaka, Japan

    Motoki Iwasaki

  4. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Toyama University Hospital, Sugitani, Toyama, Japan

    Yoshiharu Kawaguchi

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Yamazaki, M. et al. (2020). Diagnosis of OPLL and OLF: Overview. In: Okawa, A., Matsumoto, M., Iwasaki, M., Kawaguchi, Y. (eds) OPLL. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-3855-1_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-3855-1_14

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-15-3854-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-15-3855-1

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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