• Jong Joo Lee, Dong Ah Shin, Seong Yi, Keung Nyun Kim, YoonDo HeumDHDepartment of Neurosurgery, Spine and Spinal Cord Institute, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 50 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 120-752, Republic of Korea., Hyun Chul Shin, and Yoon Ha.
• Department of Neurosurgery, Spine and Spinal Cord Institute, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 50 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 120-752, Republic of Korea.
• Spine J. 2018 Oct 1; 18 (10): 1779-1786.

Background ContextDespite the fact that ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) is a three-dimensional disease, conventional studies have focused mainly on a two-dimensional measurement, and it is difficult to accurately determine the volume of OPLL growth and analyze the factors affecting OPLL growth after posterior decompression (laminoplasty or laminectomy and fusion).PurposeThe present study aimed to investigate the factors affecting OPLL volume growth using a three-dimensional measurement.Study Design/SettingThis was a retrospective case study.Patient SampleEighty-three patients with cervical OPLL who were diagnosed as having multilevel cervical OPLL of more than three levels on cervical computed tomography (CT) scans were retrospectively reviewed from June 1, 1998, to December 31, 2015.Outcome MeasuresThe OPLL volume from the C1 vertebrae to the C7 vertebrae was measured on preoperative and the most recent follow-up CT scans.MethodsEighty-three patients were retrospectively examined for age, gender, body mass index, hypertension, diabetes, type of OPLL, surgical method, preoperative cervical curvature, and preoperative and postoperative cervical range of motion. Preoperative cervical CT and the most recent follow-up cervical CT scans were converted to Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine data, and the OPLL volume was three-dimensionally measured using the Mimics program (Materialise, Leuven, Belgium). The OPLL volume growth was analyzed using univariate and multivariate analyses.ResultsThe average follow-up period was 32.36 (±23.39) months. Patients' mean age was 54.92 (±8.21) years. In univariate analysis, younger age (p=.037) and laminoplasty (p=.012) were significantly associated with a higher mean annual growth rate of OPLL (%/y). In multivariate analysis, only laminoplasty (p=.027) was significantly associated with a higher mean annual growth rate of OPLL (%/y). The mean annual growth rate of OPLL was about seven times faster with laminoplasty (8.00±13.06%/y) than with laminectomy and fusion (1.16±9.23%/y).ConclusionsPosterior instrumented fusion has the effect of reducing OPLL growth rate compared with motion-preserving laminoplasty. Patients' age and the surgical method need to be considered in surgically managing the multilevel OPLL.Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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