Abstract
BACKGROUND
Ossification of the ligamentum flavum (OLF) is characterized by heterotopic bone formation within the ligamentum flavum. It typically causes progressive, chronic spinal canal stenosis, but only rarely acute cauda equina syndromes.
CASE DESCRIPTION
A 29-year-old patient presented with cauda equina syndrome characterized by saddle numbness, urinary incontinence, and bilateral foot drop. She underwent an urgent decompression for a disc herniation, at which time the surgeons encountered severe OLF, causing cauda equina compression. After performing a computed tomography scan to assess the extent of ossification, the patient was taken back to the operating room for completion of the original laminectomy with extension to an adjacent level. Her postoperative recovery was uneventful.
CONCLUSION
Here, a 29-year-old presented with cauda equina syndrome attributed to a herniated lumbar disc and single-level OLF.
TY - JOUR
T1 - Case of ossification of the ligamentum flavum causing cauda equina compression.
AU - Graham,Joseph,
AU - Cato-Addison,William,
Y1 - 2026/04/03/
PY - 2026/2/9/received
PY - 2026/3/6/accepted
PY - 2026/5/12/medline
PY - 2026/5/12/pubmed
PY - 2026/5/12/entrez
PY - 2026/4/3/pmc-release
KW - Cauda equina syndrome
KW - Discectomy
KW - Laminectomy
KW - Laminotomy
KW - Ossification of ligamentum flavum
SP - 197
EP - 197
JF - Surgical neurology international
JO - Surg Neurol Int
VL - 17
N2 - BACKGROUND: Ossification of the ligamentum flavum (OLF) is characterized by heterotopic bone formation within the ligamentum flavum. It typically causes progressive, chronic spinal canal stenosis, but only rarely acute cauda equina syndromes. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 29-year-old patient presented with cauda equina syndrome characterized by saddle numbness, urinary incontinence, and bilateral foot drop. She underwent an urgent decompression for a disc herniation, at which time the surgeons encountered severe OLF, causing cauda equina compression. After performing a computed tomography scan to assess the extent of ossification, the patient was taken back to the operating room for completion of the original laminectomy with extension to an adjacent level. Her postoperative recovery was uneventful. CONCLUSION: Here, a 29-year-old presented with cauda equina syndrome attributed to a herniated lumbar disc and single-level OLF.
SN - 2229-5097
UR - https://www.unboundmedicine.com/prime/citation/42116910/Case_of_ossification_of_the_ligamentum_flavum_causing_cauda_equina_compression.
DB - PRIME
DP - Unbound Medicine
ER -
