Risk factors for ligamentum flavum hypertrophy in lumbar spinal stenosis patients from the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China: protocol for a retrospective, single-center study

<div>Background: Ligamentum flavum hypertrophy is one important cause of spinal stenosis. Ligamentum flavum thickness of more than 4 mm measured on computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging is considered hypertrophy, but causes of hypertrophy and distribution characteristics remain poorly understood. Previous studies showed that the ligamentum flavum thickness at the segments</div><div>L2/3, L3/4, L4/5 and L5/S1 was positively correlated with age. It remains unclear whether ligamentum flavum thickness is associated with nationality, sex and obesity.</div><div>Methods/Design: We conducted a retrospective, single-center, case analysis at the Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Xinjiang Medical University, China. We collected lumbar CT imaging data of 104 patients diagnosed with lumbar spinal stenosis in the Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Xinjiang Medical University from May 2012 to May 2016. The primary outcome was the ligamentum flavum thickness of patients with different nationalities, sexes, heights, ages, and weights. The secondary outcomes were the morphology of lumbar vertebrae in patients with different nationalities, sexes, heights, ages, and weights; the correlation of nationality, sex, height, age, and weight with ligamentum flavum thickness; results of multiple linear regression analysis of relevant factors for ligamentum flavum hypertrophy.</div><div>Discussion: This study will determine the variations in the ligamentum flavum thickness of lumbar spinal stenosis patients of different</div><div>nationalities, sexes, heights, ages, and weights in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region by measuring the ligamentum flavum thickness using CT, and analyzing risk factors for ligamentum flavum hypertrophy; the findings will provide quantitative reference data for preventing lumbar spinal stenosis induced by ligamentum flavum hypertrophy in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.</div><div>Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03057353.</div><div>Ethics: The study protocol has been approved by the Ethics Committee of Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Xinjiang Medical University, China, and conducted in accordance with the Helsinki Declaration, formulated by the World Medical Association.</div><div>Informed consent: Written informed consent was obtained from all participants.</div><div><br></div><div><div>doi: 10.4103/2542-4157.201057</div><div>How to cite this article: Zhou G, Zhang YK, Huang WM (2017) Risk factors for ligamentum flavum hypertrophy in lumbar spinal stenosis patients from the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China: protocol for a retrospective, single-center study. Clin Trials Orthop Dis 2(1):11-17.</div>