OBJECTIVETo provide appropriate guidelines for treatment of tandem ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) and flaval ligament (OFL). Data sources Published articles about OPLL and OFL were selected using Medline and Embase electronic databases. Study selection An English literature search from January 1980 to December 2006 was conducted. Because many reported cases were incorporated in OFL studies, the key words for search were OFL or OFL and OPLL. The first step revealed 93 studies of which 13 reports of tandem OPLL and OFL (tandem ossification) were selected.

RESULTSAll studies were case series or case report and advocated that the primary therapy for tandem ossification should be operative. The clinical outcomes of surgery were evaluated in most reports, predominantly using the JOA scores. Gender is the only factor which has prognostic value. A higher proportion of women was found in the failure group. A two-stage classification of tandem ossification was developed to relate diagnosis to outcome.

CONCLUSIONSAll patients with suspected ossification of the spinal ligaments should undergo routine MRI screening of the whole spine. The correlation of the classification with surgical treatments needs further studies to validate its usefulness.

Female ; Humans ; Ligamentum Flavum ; pathology ; Male ; Ossification of Posterior Longitudinal Ligament ; classification ; pathology ; Ossification, Heterotopic ; classification ; pathology

PURPOSE: To evaluate the usefulness of the West point view, we investigated the osseous pathology of the glenoid rim associated with shoulder instability and estimate the inter-observer reliability. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The West point views of sixty-seven patients with labral lesion confirmed by operation were mixed with those of thirty-three normal controls. Six observers independently reviewed the mixed radiographs and checked the lesion by identifying the glenoid erosion, bony defect, ectopic ossification and Hill-Sachs lesion. The incidence of osseous lesions suggesting instability was estimated. Sensitivity in the patient group, specificity in the normal control and inter-observer reliability were calculated to evaluate study susceptibility. RESULTS: The sensitivity of 67 patients group was 81.8% on average (73-94%), the specificity of 33 member control group was 85.2% (82-94%). The most frequent finding was glenoid erosion, with an average of 54.7%, which providing a sensitive clue of shoulder instability. Inter-observer reliability analyzed by using Kappa values showed significant agreement. (alpha=0.1 significant level). CONCLUSION: The West point view is considered to be a reliable diagnostic modality for shoulder instability. The additional sophisticated method is indicated only when a discrepancy between physical examination and radiologic findings exists.
Humans ; Incidence ; Ossification, Heterotopic ; Pathology ; Physical Examination ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Shoulder*

Aged ; Humans ; Lung ; surgery ; Male ; Ossification, Heterotopic ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Pneumonectomy ; methods ; X-Rays

Heterotopic ossification of the xiphoid process is extremely rare, with only three cases previously reported. However, the surgical pathology for postoperative elongation of the xiphoid process after abdominal surgery has not yet been reported. We report a case of the postoperative elongation of the xiphoid process, 8 years after abdominal surgery for traumatic hemoperitoneum in a 53-year-old man. The patient underwent surgical excision of the elongated mass of the xiphoid process. Histopathology revealed multiple exostoses. Heterotopic ossification can occur after surgical trauma to soft or bone tissue. Surgical excision with primary closure is the treatment of choice for symptomatic heterotopic ossification.
Bone and Bones ; Exostoses ; Exostoses, Multiple Hereditary ; Hemoperitoneum ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Ossification, Heterotopic ; Pathology, Surgical ; Xiphoid Bone

Hip Joint ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Ossification, Heterotopic ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; surgery ; Radiography

Abdominal Wall ; pathology ; Humans ; Male ; Mesentery ; pathology ; Middle Aged ; Ossification, Heterotopic ; etiology ; Postoperative Complications ; etiology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVETo assess the different causes of thoracic ossification of the ligamentum flavum (TOLF).

METHODSFrom July 1989 to November 2005, 142 cases were diagnosed the TOLF, in which 121 were operated. The lesions were classified into three types on the basis of the clinical result: (1) In such primary group (Group 1, 90 cases), without incorporation disease and Ca, P and AKP was all normal; (2) In systemic ossified TOLF group (Group 2, 30 cases), 6 cases ankylosing spondylitis, 3 cases DISH, 10 cases fluorosis, 11 cases OPLL; (3) In local spine disease group (Group 3, 22 cases), 5 cases fracture in spine, 4 cases spine TB, 13 cases posterior marginal intraosseous cartilaginous node. Such clinical feature was analysed, moreover surveyed the thoracic kyphosis angle, upper thoracic kyphosis angle, lower thoracic kyphosis angle and the vertebra body wedge change. The effect was assessed using Epstein Scale.

RESULTS(1) In Group 1, the mainly type was connected type (67/90, 74%). The ossified ligamentum flavum was mainly located at the lower thoracic and thoracic-lumber levels. The local type was less. In Group 2, the mainly type was connected type (21/30, 70%). The local type was none. The lesions figure was the most. In Group 3, the local type was the most (18/22, 82%). (2) In Group 1, the ossified ligamentum flavum was mainly located at the upper and lower thoracic levels (225/486, 47%). In Group 2, mainly located at the whole thoracic, some include cervix and lumber. In Group 3, mainly location was related with the location of primary disease. (3) In group 1, the curve was normal in 81% (73/90) of cases. In Group 2, the curve was abnormal in 87% (26/30) of cases. In Group 3, the curve was normal in the 82% (18/22) of cases.

CONCLUSIONSThe TOLF relates with systemic ossify disease, the change of load on the spine, aging and so on. It should be classified according to its causes.

Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Ligamentum Flavum ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Ossification, Heterotopic ; classification ; etiology ; pathology ; Retrospective Studies ; Thoracic Vertebrae

Eighty rats out of 233 developed malignant tumors in the stomach and small intestine by administration of 100 micrograms/ml N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) in drinking water for 28 weeks. Fifteen lesions (30%) among the 50 small intestinal carcinomas showed ossification in the tumor, while none in the sarcomas (12 lesions) or gastric adenocarcinomas (59 lesions) showed ossification. Multifocal heterotopic bone formation was found within stroma in close approximation to the neoplastic glands. The islands of bone trabeculae were covered by osteoblast-like cells, and abundant fibroblasts in loose stroma gathered around the bony islands which enclosed osteocytes in lacunae. Neither osteoclast nor cartilage was identified. In 5 cases, ossification was extensive, which comprised the major portion of the stroma. In contrast, intraluminal calcification without ossified foci were occasionally seen in the gastric carcinoma. Ossification of the intestinal tumors correlated to the degree of mucin content (p<0.05, chi square with Yates' correction), degree of neutrophilic infiltration (p<0.05), and size of the tumor (p<0.1). (The average size of the ossified tumor was 21.5 +/- 4.0 mm, while that of nonossified tumors was 12.5 +/- 1.9 mm). The degree of tumoral necrosis, desmoplasia or depth of invasion did not seem to be related to the ossification of the tumor. The ossification rate of this experimental model was much higher than in human cases. Various histologic alterations, such as mucin leakage, inflammatory cell infiltration, necrosis and/or fibrosis, which might be caused by continuous stimulation of the strong carcinogen, may play some role in the ossification of experimental tumors.
Adenocarcinoma/chemically induced/*pathology ; Animals ; Intestinal Neoplasms/chemically induced/*pathology ; Intestine, Small/*pathology ; Methylnitronitrosoguanidine ; Ossification, Heterotopic/*pathology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Staining and Labeling ; Stomach Neoplasms/chemically induced/*pathology

A 8-years-old male patient with a bulge of left eye ball for one mongth was hospitalized. The inspection of the patient showed the movement on the left side of the lateral nasal wall and a narrow nasal cavity. Orbital CT showed that the left orbital ethmoid sinus, maxillary sinus cyst, left orbital, sphenoid sinus, nasal cavity were damaged. A resection with the combination of approaches including the left maxillary sinus, the ethmoid sinus, and the sphenoid sinus osteofibroma was performed. 5 days after the operation, the nasal packing material was removed and 7 days after the operation the stiches were removed. The recovery of the patient was satisfied after the operation and no recurrence was observed during one and half years follow up.
Child ; Ethmoid Sinus ; pathology ; Humans ; Male ; Maxillary Sinus ; pathology ; Nasal Cavity ; pathology ; Nasal Surgical Procedures ; Ossification, Heterotopic ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Paranasal Sinus Diseases ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Sphenoid Sinus ; pathology

Acute neurologic deterioration is not a rare event in the surgical decompression for thoracic spinal stenosis. We report a case of transient paraparesis after decompressive laminectomy in a 50-yr-old male patient with multi-level thoracic ossification of the ligamentum flavum and cervical ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament. Decompressive laminectomy from T9 to T11 was performed without gross neurological improvement. Two weeks after the first operation, laminoplasty from C4 to C6 and additional decompressive laminectomies of T3, T4, T6, and T8 were performed. Paraparesis developed 3 hr after the second operation, which recovered spontaneously 5 hr thereafter. CT and MRI were immediately performed, but there were no corresponding lesions. Vascular compromise of the borderlines of the arterial supply by microthrombi might be responsible for the paraparesis.
*Cervical Vertebrae/pathology/surgery ; Decompression, Surgical/adverse effects ; Humans ; Laminectomy/*adverse effects ; *Ligamentum Flavum/pathology/surgery ; *Longitudinal Ligaments/pathology/surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; *Ossification, Heterotopic ; Paraparesis/*etiology