JapanThis report reviews our experience with spinal decompression for posterior limbus vertebral lesions or osteocartilaginous vertebral corner defects in the lumbar spine in 29 children and young adults. There were 19 male and 10 female patients with a mean age of 16.5 years (range, 9 to 24 years). Twenty-four patients were involved with various athletic activities.Clinical presentation included low back pain with a variable degree of radiculopathy in 25 patients and a cauda equina syndrome in four. The level of the affected spinal area was LJ-2 in one patient, L2-3 in one, L3-4 in seven, L4-5 in 17, and L5-S I in three. The preoperative imaging workup showed lateralised 'non-calcified' or 'calcified' limbus vertebral defects in 13 patients and centrally displaced lesions in 16 patients. All patients underwent posterior spinal decompression with a slightly extended laminotomy, except for three patients who had a subsequent posterolateral fusion. All of the patients consequently returned to practice their favourite preoperative sport and lifestyle, but five discontinued their previous sports. We suggest that patients with posterior limbus vertebral lesions require careful diagnosis and therapy that are different from those with an ordinary lumbar disc herniation.
We report a 69-year-old woman who developed serious hydrocephalus after cervical laminoplasty for ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament. The patient presented with approximately 50% spinal canal compromise pertaining to ossified lesion at C5 and C6 levels and subsequently underwent a C3 -C7 open-door laminoplasty, followed by uneventful neurological recovery until 2 weeks postoperatively. Despite a favourable postoperative course, she presented with serious symptoms and signs of intracranial hypertension about 3 weeks after surgery. Computed tomography demonstrated the appearance of marked hydrocephalus, with no explainable cause. A ventriculoperitoneal shunt followed by removal of subdural fluid in the suboccipital fossa resulted in resolution of the clinical symptoms and of the hydrocephalus. It is important to be aware of the very rare occurrence of such intracranial neurological compromise after a cervical laminoplasty operation for long-standing ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament.
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