Ossification of ligamentum flavum in Middle East Arabs: a hospital-based study.

Objective: To investigate the frequency of ossification of the ligamentum flavum (OLF) in the spine among the Arab population in Kuwait using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) surveillance of the whole spine.

Subjects And Methods: A consecutive series of 102 patients with low back pain were recruited from the outpatient clinic of Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital, Kuwait. MRI of the whole spine in the sagittal plane was obtained in at least two sequences (T(1) and T(2)).