Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Pathogenesis of Ossification of the Spinal Ligaments

  • Chapter
OPLL

Abstract

Ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL), which was first reported in an autopsy case by Tsukimoto in 1960 [1] and was named by Terayama in 1964, and ossification of the yellow ligament (OYL) are frequently complicated by ossification of other ligaments; they have therefore been recognized as conditions associated with ankylosing spinal hyperostosis (ASH; Forestier and Lagier 1971 [2]) and diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH; Resnick et al. 1975 [3]). However, unlike ASH and DISH, OPLL and OYL are characterized by the ossification of ligaments in the spinal canal and a high incidence of severe myelopathy, and are therefore often classified together as a distinct category, “ossification of the spinal ligaments” (OSL).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 74.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Tsukimoto H (1960) On an autopsied case of compression myelopathy with a callus formation in the cervical spinal canal (in Japanese). Nihon Geka Hokan (Arch Jpn Chir) 29: 1003

    Google Scholar 

  2. Forestier J, Lagier R (1971) Ankylosing hyperostosis of the spine. Clin Orthop 74: 65–83

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Resnick D, Shaul SR, Robins JM (1975) Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH): Forestier’s diseases with extraspinal manifestations. Radiology 115: 513–524

    Google Scholar 

  4. Ueyama K, Harata S, Itoh J, Nitobe T, Morikawa Y, Yamada S, Tornita T, Tian W, Rong G, Jia Y, Dang G, Cai Q, Liu S (1995) Epidemiologic study of ossification of the cervical posterior longitudinal ligament in China (in Japanese). In: Investigation committee report on the ossification of the spinal ligaments of the Japanese Ministry of Public Health and Welfare. Ministry of Public Health and Welfare, Kagoshima, pp 16–17

    Google Scholar 

  5. Terayama K (1988) Pathology of ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (in Japanese). J Jpn Orthop Assoc 85–101

    Google Scholar 

  6. Ohtsuka K, Terayama K, Yanagihara M, Wada K, Kasuga K (1986) An epidemiological survey on ossification of ligaments in the cervical and thoracic spine in individuals over 50 years of age. J Jpn Orthop Assoc 60: 1087–1098

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Satou T, Taketomi E, Matsunaga S, Yamaguchi M, Sonoda S, Yashiki S (1991) Genetic study of ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament in the cervical spine with human leukocyte antigen haplotype. Spine 16: 1249–1252

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Yamaguchi M, Sakou T, Taketomi E, Matsunaga S, Imamura T, Koga K, Hayashi K (1993) HLA haplotype of OPLL (in Japanese). Orthop Surg 44: 999–1002

    Google Scholar 

  9. Taketomi E, Sakoh T, Matsunuga S, Yamaguchi M (1992) Family study of a twin with ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament in the cervical spine. Spine 17: S56 - S57

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Miura Y, Kawai K (1993) Genetic studies for OPLL; analysis of twin (in Japanese). Orthop Surg 44: 993–998

    Google Scholar 

  11. Terayama K (1989) Genetic studies on ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament of the spine. Spine 14: 1184–1191

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Ono K, Ota H, Tada K, Hamada H, Takaoka K (1977) Ossified posterior longitudinal ligament: a clinicopathologic study. Spine 2: 126–138

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Goto S (1981) Studies of ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament in the cervical spine using microradiography and histochemistry (in Japanese). J Jpn Orthop Assoc 55: 451–466

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Tsuzuki N, Imai T, Hotta Y (1981) Histopathological findings of the ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament of the cervical spine and their significance (in Japanese). J Jpn Orthop Assoc 55: 387–397

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Goto S (1979) Pathology on ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament in the cervical spine (in Japanese). Clin Orthop Surg 14: 1175–1184

    Google Scholar 

  16. Goto S (1987) Pathogenesis of ossification of spinal ligaments (in Japanese). Seikei Geka (Orthop Surg) 50: 131–145

    Google Scholar 

  17. Nakamura H (1994) A radiographic study of the progression of ossification of the cervical posterior longitudinal ligament: the correlation between the ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament and that of the anterior longitudinal ligament (in Japanese). J Jpn Orthop Assoc 68: 725–736

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Seki H, Tsuyama N, Hayashi K, Kurokawa T, Imai S, Yamabe N, Nakajima M (1974) Clinical examination of 185 cases of ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (in Japanese). Orthop Surg 25: 704–710

    Google Scholar 

  19. Terayama K (1976) Ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (in Japanese). J Jpn Orthop Assoc 50: 415–442

    Google Scholar 

  20. Saito Y, Inoue S, Goto S (1986) A roentgenographic study of spinal hyperostosis: the relationship between location of ligamentous ossification and posture. In: Bone morphometry, vol 6. Quantitative analysis of bone (in Japanese). Nishimura Shoten, Niigata, Japan, pp 80–86

    Google Scholar 

  21. Okada Y, Motegi M, Umeda Y, Tabe S, Yamamoto M, Okajima Y, Fujita R, Furufu T, Higashi T (1980) Radiological study on enlargement of ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament of the cervical spine; from inclination angle of the cervical intervertebral joints (in Japanese). Orthop Surg 31: 1761–1773

    Google Scholar 

  22. Ishida Y (1988) Studies on induction mechanism of ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament of the spine: especially on the cultured cells from the human spinal ligament (in Japanese). J Jpn Orthop Assoc 62: 1019–1027

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Terakado A, Tagawa M, Goto S, Yamazaki M, Moriya H, Fujimura S (1995) Elevation of alkaline phosphatase activity induced by parathyroid hormone in osteoblast-like cells from the spinal hyperostotic mouse TWY (twy/twy). Calcif Tissue Int 56: 135–139

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Oda J, Tsuzuki N, Takahashi K (1993) Histology of cervical OPLL relationship between OPLL and intervertebral disc (in Japanese). Orthop Surg 44: 1033–1040

    Google Scholar 

  25. Yamazaki A, Homma T, Ishikawa S, Okumura H (1991) Magnetic resonance imaging and histologic study of hypertrophic cervical posterior longitudinal ligament: a case report. Spine 16: 1262–1266

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Yoshikawa S, Shiba M, Suzuki A (1968) Spinal-cord compression in untreated adult cases of vitamin-D resistant rickets. J Bone Joint Surg Am 50A: 743–752

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Goto S (1982) Biochemical and histological studies on factors associated with bone metabolism and mechanical factors causing ossification of the longitudinal posterior ligament (in Japanese). Orthop Surg (suppl) 2: 80–90

    Google Scholar 

  28. Wada A (1995) Affinity of estrogen binding in the cultured spinal ligament cells: an in vitro study using cells from spinal ligament of ossification patients (in Japanese). J Jpn Orthop Assoc 69: 440–449

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Okada Y, Motegi M, Fujita R, Furufu T, Sakamoto M, Tabe S (1987) Relationship between ossification of spinal ligaments and sex hormones (in Japanese). Seikei Geka (Orthop Surg) 50: 152–163

    Google Scholar 

  30. Goto S, Tanno T (1989) Study for bone mass in osteoporosis and hyperotosis (in Japanese). J Musculoskel Syst 2: 976–985

    Google Scholar 

  31. Ikegawa S (1993) Growth hormone (GH) and GH-associated growth factors in ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament of the spine (in Japanese). Orthop Surg 44: 1008–1011

    Google Scholar 

  32. Hoshino Y, Kurokawa T, Iizuka T, Kamura S, Takuwa Y, Ogata E, Matsumoto T, Takeuchi Y (1987) Calcium metabolism in patients with ossification of the spinal ligaments (in Japanese). Seikei Geka (Orthop Surg) 50: 146–151

    Google Scholar 

  33. Ishizawa N (1992) Experimental study of hyperostosis induced by hyper-vitaminosis A (in Japanese). J Jpn Orthop Assoc 66: 919–930

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Goto S, Inoue S, Kurihara M, Ogata S, Saito Y, Sato M, Shimo R (1986) Clinical and basic examination of hyperostosis and osteoporosis: differences and similarities. In: Bone morphometry, vol 6. Quantitative analysis of bone (in Japanese). Nishimura Shoten, Niigata, Japan, pp 131–139

    Google Scholar 

  35. Kawagishi T, Harada M (1979) Epidemiologic study on ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament in diabetic patients (in Japanese). Clin Orthop Surg 14: 718–722

    Google Scholar 

  36. Takeuchi Y, Matsumoto T, Takuwa Y, Hoshino Y, Kurokawa T, Shibuya N, Ogata E (1989) High incidence of obesity and elevated serum immunoreactive insulin level in patients with paravertebral ligamentous ossification: a relationship to the development of ectopic ossification. J Bone Miner Metab 7: 17–21

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Tanno T, Moriya H, Goto S, Nagase J, Saito Y (1990) Study on glucose metabolism in patients with ankylosing spinal hyperostosis (in Japanese). Orthop Surg 41: 1121–1125

    Google Scholar 

  38. Kawaguchi H, Kurokawa T, Hoshino Y, Kawahara H, Ogata E, Matsumoto T (1992) Immunohistochemical demonstration of bone morphogenetic protein-2 and transforming growth factor-(3 in the ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament of the cervical spine. Spine 17: S33 - S36

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Miyamoto S, Yonenobu K, Ono K (1993) Immunohistochemical demonstration of transforming growth factor-13, fibronectin and alkaline phosphatase in the ossified spinal ligaments (in Japanese). Orthop Surg 44: 1048–1055

    Google Scholar 

  40. Tanno T (1992) Experimental study on the spinal lesions in hyperostotic mouse (twy/twy): special reference to the pathogenesis of the ossification of the spinal ligaments and to the action of ethane-l-hydroxy-1,1-diphosphonate (EHDP) (in Japanese). J Jpn Orthop Assoc 66: 1073–1082

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Goto S (1979) Pathology of ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (in Japanese). J Jpn Orthop Assoc 53: 1133–1135

    Google Scholar 

  42. Hirai N, Ikata T, Murase M, Morita T, Yamada H, Okada Y, Miyake R, Tachibana K, Kasai Y (1994) Bone mineral density of the lumbar spine in patients with ossification of cervical posterior longitudinal ligament (in Japanese). In: Investigation committee report on the ossification of the spinal ligaments of the Japanese Ministry of Public Health and Welfare. Ministry of Public Health and Welfare, Kagoshima, pp 9–11

    Google Scholar 

  43. Mamada T, Hoshino Y, Ohnishi I, Seichi A, Saita K, Kurokawa T (1993) Relationship between age and bone mineral density of each part of patients with OPLL (in Japanese). In: Investigation committee report on the ossification of the spinal ligaments of the Japanese Ministry of Public Health and Welfare. Ministry of Public Health and Welfare, Kagoshima, pp 13–17

    Google Scholar 

  44. Maezumi H (1990) Bone mineral analysis in patients with ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament of the spine (in Japanese). J Jpn Orthop Assoc 64: 534–545

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. Tei J (1985) Roentgenological and quantitative micro-radiographic study on ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament (in Japanese). J Jpn Orthop Assoc 59: 153–166

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. Miura Y, Tanaka S, Hikone R (1993) Ossification of the spinal ligaments in Zuker fatty rat (in Japanese). Orthop Surg 44: 1107–1113

    Google Scholar 

  47. Goto S, Tanno T, Yamazaki M, Saito Y, Kobayashi Y, Sodeyama T, Terakado J, Yamakoshi H, Tagawa M, Nagai Y (1992) Recent advance of the study on pathogenesis of ossification of spinal ligament (in Japanese). In: Investigation committee report on the ossification of the spinal ligaments of the Japanese Ministry of Public Health and Welfare. Ministry of Public Health and Welfare, Tokyo, pp 431–444

    Google Scholar 

  48. Yamazaki M, Moriya H, Goto S, Saitoh Y, Arai K, Nagai Y (1991) Increased type IX collagen expression in the spinal hyperostotic mouse (twy/twy). Calcif Tissue Int 48: 182–189

    Article  Google Scholar 

  49. Kobayashi Y, Goto S, Yamazaki M, Hyakutake S, Kita T, Sodeyama T, Terakado J, Tanno T, Moriya H (1993) Bone mineral analysis in ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (in Japanese). In: Investigation commitee report on the ossification of the spinal ligaments of the Japanese Ministry of Public Health and Welfare. Ministry of Public Health and Welfare, Kagoshima, pp 18–21

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Chiba University School of Medicine, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba, 260, Japan

    Sumio Goto & Masashi Yamazaki

Authors
  1. Sumio Goto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Masashi Yamazaki
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Osaka University Medical School, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565, Japan

    Kazuo Yonenobu M.D., D. Med. Sc. (Associate Professor) (Associate Professor)

  2. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Kagoshima University, 8-35-1 Sakuragaoka, Kagoshima, 890, Japan

    Takashi Sakou M.D. (Professor and Chairman) (Professor and Chairman)

  3. Osaka University, 4-2-78 Fukushima, Fukushima-ku, Osaka, 553, Japan

    Keiro Ono M.D., Ph.D. (Professor Emeritus. Director) (Professor Emeritus. Director)

  4. Osaka Koseinenkin Hospital, 4-2-78 Fukushima, Fukushima-ku, Osaka, 553, Japan

    Keiro Ono M.D., Ph.D. (Professor Emeritus. Director) (Professor Emeritus. Director)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1997 Springer Japan

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Goto, S., Yamazaki, M. (1997). Pathogenesis of Ossification of the Spinal Ligaments. In: Yonenobu, K., Sakou, T., Ono, K. (eds) OPLL. Springer, Tokyo. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-67046-9_4

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-67046-9_4

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Tokyo

  • Print ISBN: 978-4-431-67048-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-4-431-67046-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation