Ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament of the cervical spine: A review article

Abstract

This article reviews the literature on the status of cervical OPLL in recent years, and reviews the etiology, clinical manifestations, imaging features, treatment and prognosis. Evidence was collected through PubMed and Google Scholar databases. After screening, weight removal and irrelevant articles, 57 articles were finally included in the review. Imaging is the only way to confirm the diagnosis, and CT and MRI are used to assess the patient's ossified material and spinal cord compression. Because there are hundreds of surgical approaches to cervical OPLL, each with advantages and disadvantages, clinicians must develop a personalized surgical plan based on the patient’s preoperative relevant factors to maximize prognosis. Clinicians should also actively follow up on discharged patients, carefully analyze cases with a poor prognosis, and summarize their experiences.