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Posterior instrumented fusion suppresses the progression of ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament: a comparison of laminoplasty with and without instrumented fusion by three-dimensional analysis

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Abstract

Purpose

There is no definitive evidence that additional instrumented fusion following laminoplasty suppresses the progression of ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL). Recently, we reported a novel method involving the creation of three-dimensional (3D) model from computed tomography images to measure the volume of OPLL accurately. The study aim was to evaluate whether laminoplasty with instrumented fusion suppresses the progression of OPLL in comparison with stand-alone laminoplasty by our novel 3D analysis.

Methods

The present study comprised of a group of 19 patients (14 men, five women) with OPLL treated with posterior decompression and fusion (PDF group), and a group of 22 patients (14 men, eight women) treated with laminoplasty alone (LP group). The volume of OPLL was evaluated three times during the follow-up period, and the volume change of OPLL was compared between the two groups.

Results

The PDF group (2.0 ± 1.7 %/year; range, −3.0 to 5.3) demonstrated lower annual rate of lesion increase compared to the LP group (7.5 ± 5.6 %/year; range, 1.0–19.2) (p < 0.001). In a notable thing, the annual rate of increase from the 2nd to the 3rd measurement significantly decreased compared with that from the 1st to the 2nd measurement in the PDF group (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

This is the first study to prove a possible suppressant effect of additional posterior instrumented fusion on OPLL progression using novel 3D analysis.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Drs. Naoto Endo (Division of Orthopedic Surgery, Department of Regenerative and Transplant Medicine, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences) and Akiyoshi Yamazaki (Spine Center, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Niigata Central Hospital) for their kind support in the present study. Funds from the Investigation Committee on the Ossification of the Spinal Ligaments of the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare were received in support of this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Orthopedic Surgery, Department of Regenerative and Transplant Medicine, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, 1-757 Asahimachi Dori, Chuo-ku, Niigata City, Niigata, 951-8510, Japan

    Keiichi Katsumi, Toru Hirano, Kei Watanabe & Masayuki Ohashi

  2. Spine Center, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Niigata Central Hospital, 1-18 Shinkocho, Chuo-ku, Niigata City, Niigata, 950-8556, Japan

    Tomohiro Izumi

  3. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Niigata City General Hospital, 463-7 Syumoku, Chuo-ku, Niigata City, Niigata, 950-1197, Japan

    Takui Ito

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  1. Keiichi Katsumi
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  2. Tomohiro Izumi
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  3. Takui Ito
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  4. Toru Hirano
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Correspondence to Keiichi Katsumi.

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Katsumi, K., Izumi, T., Ito, T. et al. Posterior instrumented fusion suppresses the progression of ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament: a comparison of laminoplasty with and without instrumented fusion by three-dimensional analysis. Eur Spine J 25, 1634–1640 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-015-4328-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-015-4328-9

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