Spinal Cord Injury Caused by Minor Trauma in a Patient With Silent Ossification of the Ligamentum Flavum: Case Report and Review Publisher



Rahimizadeh A¹ ; Soufiani H¹ ; Amirzadeh M¹ ; Williamson WL² ; Rahimizadeh S¹ ; Asgari N¹ Show Affiliations
Source: Iranian Journal of Neurosurgery Published:2023

Abstract

Background and Importance: Acute spinal cord injury without an apparent spinal fracture/ dislocation in an asymptomatic subject with silent thoracic ossification of the ligamentum flavum (TOLF) is extremely rare with only seven fully documented examples of this specific scenario in the literature. Case Presentation: A previously healthy middle-aged woman with a documented magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) history of silent TOLF presented severe lower extremity weakness immediately after a minor fall. Repeat MRI revealed the appearance of myelopathy at the silent T10-T11 ossification of the ligamentum flavum (OLF) site. Laminectomy and excision of the OLF result in complete recovery within 6 months. Conclusion: We believe that our asymptomatic patient should have undergone prophylactic surgical intervention before this catastrophic event. In a survey of medical literature, we found that the presented case is the first example of a documented MRI of TOLF in its silence period. © 2023 Guilan University of Medical Sciences. Published by Guilan University of Medical Sciences.