Abstract:

Objective　Through the digital reconstruction of the degenerative of lumbar ligamentum flavum，a stereoscopical and intuitive morphologic basis for the degenerative lumbar ligamentum flavum for diagnosis and surgical planning was provided.　Methods　CT imaging data of lumbar pain patients were collected, and cross-sectional images of lumbar ligamentum flavum in post-processing workstation were observed, a total of 63 patients aged 32 to 80 years old whose lumbar ligamentum flavum either hypertrophied greater than 4 mm and / or ossified were selected, male 31 male  and 32 female. Then, CT scan raw data were imported into mimics 16.0 software for image reconstruction, its morphology and distribution were observed.　Results　In the 63 cases of 315 lumbar vertebrae, a total of 205 segments’ ligamentum flavum were hypertrophied and /or ossified. The ligamentum flavum hypertrophied alone was 79.51%, and ossification alone ossification was 6.34%. Hypertrophy with ossification was 14.15%. All 205 segments’ ligamentum flavum were successfully modelled and ligamentum flavum hypertrophy modeling morphology included hinge-like, irregular flake and irregular column, ossification of ligamentum flavum contained with short columnar shape, short cone-shape, irregular flake, ligamentum flavum hypertrophied with ossification had their different forms after reconstruction.　Conclusion　The computer digital technology reconstruction of lumbar degenerative ligamentum flavum could clearly demonstrate the distribution, morphology and adjacent structure of the relationship. Moreover, lumbar spinal models and computer constructed ligamentum flavum models could be randomly assembled and sectioned, which could comprehensively and intuitively display all details of the lesion.

Key words: Ligamentum flavum, Hypertrophy and ossification, Lumbar, Three digital reconstruction, Computed tomography