Study Design: A histological, biological, and immunohisto-chemical study of human lumbar ligamentum flavum.
Objective: To analyze changes in the hypertrophied ligamentum flavum and clarify their etiology.
Summary Of Background Data: Hypertrophy of the ligamentum flavum has been considered a major contributor to the development of lumbar spinal canal stenosis (LSCS). Although previous studies have reported some factors related to ligamentum flavum hypertrophy, its etiology is still unclear.
Methods: Ligamentum flavum samples were collected from 20 patients with LSCS (LSCS group) and 10 patients with lumbar disc herniation (LDH group) as a control. The thickness of the ligamentum flavum was measured histologically. The amounts of elastic fibers and proteoglycans were assessed by Elastica-Masson staining and alcian blue staining, respectively. Gene and protein expressions related to fibrosis, inflammation, and chondrogenesis were analyzed by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry. The total genes of the 2 groups were compared by DNA microarray analysis.
Results: The ligamentum flavum was significantly thicker in the LSCS group, which had a smaller amount of elastic fibers and a larger amount of proteoglycans. The gene expression related to fibrosis was significantly higher in the LSCS group; however, the immunoreactivities of collagen types I and III were weaker on the dorsal side of the ligamentum flavum in the LSCS group. The gene expression related to chondrogenesis and proteoglycan synthesis was significantly higher in the LSCS group. There was no significant difference in the gene expression related to inflammation between the 2 groups.
Conclusion: Synthesis of the collagenous fibers and degradation of the elastic and collagenous fibers are both accelerated in the ligamentum flavum of patient with LSCS, which may be the reason for hypertrophy of the tissue. In addition, chondrogenesis and proteoglycan synthesis may have critical roles in the pathogenesis of the ligamentum flavum hypertrophy.
Level Of Evidence: 5.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/BRS.0000000000000795 | DOI Listing |
Cell Mol Biol Lett
January 2025
Department of Orthopaedics, Peking University Third Hospital, Peking University, No.49 NorthGarden Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, Beijing, China.
Background: Epigenetic modifications have been proved to play important roles in the spinal degenerative diseases. As a type of noncoding RNA, the microRNA (miRNA) is a vital class of regulatory factor in the epigenetic modifications, while the role of miRNAs in the regulation of epigenetic modifications in ligamentum flavum hypertrophy (LFH) has not been fully investigated.
Methods: The miRNA sequencing analysis was used to explore the change of miRNA expression during the fibrosis of ligamentum flavum (LF) cells caused by the TGF-β1 (10 ng/ml).
Front Cardiovasc Med
December 2024
Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States.
Background: A 63-year-old Black woman presented with progressive exertional dyspnea and chronic lower back pain. The course and findings in her case are instructive.
Case Report: Family history was notable for cardiac deaths.
Sci Rep
December 2024
Department of Orthopedics, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China.
Ossification of the ligamentum flavum (OLF) is the main causative factor of spinal stenosis, but how to accurately and efficiently identify the ossification region is a clinical pain point and an urgent problem to be solved. Currently, we can only rely on the doctor's subjective experience for identification, with low efficiency and large error. In this study, a deep learning method is introduced for the first time into the diagnosis of ligamentum flavum ossificans, we proposed a lightweight, automatic and efficient method for identifying ossified regions, called CDUNeXt.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground Low back pain (LBP) is the leading cause of disability among working-age adults, with its prevalence increasing with age and peaking in the 45-54 age group. It is common practice for clinicians to conduct advanced imaging procedures, such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) when a patient presents with LBP. The objective of this study was to measure and analyze the width of the ligamentum flavum (LF) on each side and the extent of degeneration of the disc at the L3-4, L4-5, and L5-S1 levels.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInterv Pain Med
December 2024
Department of Rehabilitation, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
A 78-year-old female with a remote history of L3-4 decompression and fusion presented with several months of low back and radicular leg pain. MRI revealed moderate L2-L3 spinal canal stenosis, ligamentum flavum infolding, moderate bilateral foraminal stenosis, and a grade I retrolisthesis. A right sided L2-L3 TFESI was performed using multiplanar fluoroscopic imaging with a subpedicular supraneural approach.
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