The Ligamentum Flavum in Lumbar Spinal Canal Stenosis

A series of 73 patients who had been surgically operated for lumbar diseases at Dept. of Orth. Surg. in Nagasaki Mitsubishi Hospital (mostly degenerative spinal stenosis, combined lumbar spinal stenosis and lumbar disc disease) has been reviewed to present clinical surgical and histological findings. It may be concluded that in spinal canal stenosis, the ligament flavum is shortened and projected into the spinal canal as the results of ossific change, the narrowing of intervertebral disc spaces, and the subluxation and the convolution of the post joint, thus the ligament gives physical and morphological aggravating changes. In addition to these, the ligament flavum itself shows qualitative changes such as degeneration, hypertrophy and fibrosis ; and the dynamic factors such as spinal extension and a standing posture may also secondarily affect the ligament flavum