TY - JOUR
T1 - Thoracic myelopathy in Japan
T2 - Epidemiological retrospective study in Miyagi Prefecture during 15 years
AU - Aizawa, Toshimi
AU - Sato, Tetsuro
AU - Tanaka, Yasuhisa
AU - Ozawa, Hiroshi
AU - Hoshikawa, Takeshi
AU - Ishii, Yushin
AU - Morozumi, Naoki
AU - Ishibashi, Kentaro
AU - Kasama, Fumio
AU - Hyodo, Hironori
AU - Murakami, Eiichi
AU - Nishihira, Takeshi
AU - Kokubun, Shoichi
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2018 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2006/11/1
Y1 - 2006/11/1
N2 - Thoracic myelopathy is defined as spinal cord compression in the thoracic region, leading to sensory and motor dysfunctions in the trunk and lower extremities, and can be caused by various degenerative processes of the spine. Thoracic myelopathy is rare, and there are many unsolved problems including its epidemiological and clinical features. We have established a registration system of spinal surgeries, which covered almost all surgeries in Miyagi Prefecture, and enrolled the data of 265 patients with thoracic myelopathy from 1988 to 2002. The annual rate of surgery gradually increased and averaged 0.9 per 100,000 inhabitants, which was less than 1/10 of that for cervical myelopathy. About 20 patients with thoracic myelopathy are operated on in Miyagi Prefecture each year. It frequently develops in middle-aged males. About half of the cases were caused by ossification of the ligamentum flavum, followed by ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament, intervertebral disc herniation and posterior spur. Patients usually noticed numbness or pain in the legs and the preoperative duration was long, averaging 2 years. Its symptomatic similarities to lumbar disorders might cause difficulty in making a correct diagnosis. Since thoracic myelopathy can markedly restrict the activities of daily life, even general physicians should recognize this entity.
AB - Thoracic myelopathy is defined as spinal cord compression in the thoracic region, leading to sensory and motor dysfunctions in the trunk and lower extremities, and can be caused by various degenerative processes of the spine. Thoracic myelopathy is rare, and there are many unsolved problems including its epidemiological and clinical features. We have established a registration system of spinal surgeries, which covered almost all surgeries in Miyagi Prefecture, and enrolled the data of 265 patients with thoracic myelopathy from 1988 to 2002. The annual rate of surgery gradually increased and averaged 0.9 per 100,000 inhabitants, which was less than 1/10 of that for cervical myelopathy. About 20 patients with thoracic myelopathy are operated on in Miyagi Prefecture each year. It frequently develops in middle-aged males. About half of the cases were caused by ossification of the ligamentum flavum, followed by ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament, intervertebral disc herniation and posterior spur. Patients usually noticed numbness or pain in the legs and the preoperative duration was long, averaging 2 years. Its symptomatic similarities to lumbar disorders might cause difficulty in making a correct diagnosis. Since thoracic myelopathy can markedly restrict the activities of daily life, even general physicians should recognize this entity.
KW - Epidemiological study
KW - Ossification of the ligamentum flavum
KW - Ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament
KW - Thoracic myelopathy
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U2 - 10.1620/tjem.210.199
DO - 10.1620/tjem.210.199
M3 - Article
C2 - 17077596
AN - SCOPUS:33750698215
VL - 210
SP - 199
EP - 208
JO - Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine
JF - Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine
SN - 0040-8727
IS - 3
ER -