• Int Orthop · Jul 2013

    Hypertrophy of the ligamentum flavum in lumbar spinal canal stenosis is associated with increased bFGF expression.

    • Sittisak Honsawek, Jariya Poonpukdee, Chookiet Chalermpanpipat, Sunchai Payungporn, Worawat Limthongkul, Wicharn Yingsakmongkol, Voranuch Thanakit, and Vinai Parkpian.
    • Department of Orthopaedics, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Thai Red Cross Society, Rama IV road, Patumwan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand. sittisak.h@chula.ac.th
    • Int Orthop. 2013 Jul 1; 37 (7): 1387-92.

    PurposeA prospective study was undertaken to investigate basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) expression in hypertrophic ligamentum flavum (LF) from patients with lumbar spinal canal stenosis (LSCS) and to determine whether there was a correlation of bFGF expression with LF thickness.MethodsTwenty patients with lumbar spinal canal stenosis were enrolled in this study. bFGF mRNA and protein expressions in LF were analyzed using quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), immunohistochemistry, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively. The thickness of LF was measured by axial T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging.ResultsExpression of bFGF was substantially higher in the hypertrophic LF group than in the control group (P < 0.001) as quantified by quantitative real-time PCR. In immunohistochemical study, bFGF was positively stained on the fibroblasts within hypertrophic LF compared to nonpathologic LF of controls. Subsequent ELISA analysis revealed that bFGF concentration in the hypertrophic LF group was remarkably higher than that in the control group (P = 0.003). The thickness of LF in the hypertrophic LF was significantly greater than that in the control group (P < 0.001). LSCS patients with greater severity of LF hypertrophy had significantly higher bFGF levels in the LF tissues (P < 0.001). Furthermore, the bFGF concentration exhibited a positive correlation with the LF thickness (r = 0.974, P < 0.001).ConclusionsThese findings suggest that the increased expression of bFGF is associated with the hypertrophy of ligamentum flavum in patients with LSCS.

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