International Journal of Anatomical Sciences 2010,1:34-36.
Case Report
Spondylitis Ossificans Ligamentosa of Lumbar Vertebrae
Najma M, Saraswathi G, Pushpalatha K, Malar D.
Department of Anatomy, JSS Medical College, JSS University, Mysore, Karnataka, India
Key Words: anterior longitudinal ligament, ossification, lumbar vertebrae.
Abstract: During the routine examination of dry and processed bones, it was observed that the bodies of second, third and fourth lumbar vertebrae were fused due to the ossification of anterior longitudinal ligament. The posterior longitudinal ligament, ligamentum flavum and intervertebral discs were spared from ossification in the same specimen. The ossification of anterior longitudinal ligament in lumbar region is not commonly seen as in cervical and thoracic regions. The ossification of anterior longitudinal ligament in the lumbar vertebrae has been considered a part of Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis – DISH (Forestier’s disease) Forestier’s disease most commonly affects obese men who are more than 40 years old and more so in North Americans. The prevalence of the disease has been estimated to range between 12 and 22% in men and 12 and 13% in women. Most patients have mild to moderate restriction of spine movements, low back pain and stiffness in the lumbosacral region (Burkus, 1999). By radiological studies three types of ossification of anterior longitudinal ligament have been described segmental, continuous and mixed types (Mizuno, 2005). The present study makes an attempt to establish the relation between the various types of ossification of anterior longitudinal ligaments in different regions of vertebral column and Forestier’s disease.