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The ligamenta flava (sg.: ligamentum flavum, Latin for yellow ligament) are a series of ligaments that connect the ventral parts of the laminae of adjacent vertebrae. They help to preserve upright posture, preventing hyperflexion, and ensuring that the vertebral column straightens after flexion. Hypertrophy can cause spinal stenosis.
A slow, chronic cause in this age group is when the cord gets caught and squeezed between a posterior intervertebral disc herniation against the anterior cord and/or with posterior pressure on the cord from hypertrophy of the ligamentum flavum (Lhermitte's sign may be the experience that causes the patient to seek medical diagnosis). However ...
The ligamentum flavum (yellow ligament), an important structural component intimately adjacent to the posterior portion of the dural sac (nerve sac) can become thickened and cause stenosis. The articular facets, also in the posterior portion of the bony spine can become thickened and enlarged, causing stenosis.
[6] [8] Mild to severe symptoms include prolonged constant pain, tiredness and discomfort in the lower half of the body. [ 6 ] [ 8 ] In severe cases, impaired motor function and ability in the lower body can be observed, and bowel or bladder dysfunction may be present.
From a clinical standpoint, denticulate ligaments do not play a significant role in lumbar spinal stenosis when compared to issues such as disc herniations, facet hypertrophy, shape of spinal canal, size of spinal canal, ligamentum flavum hypertrophy, or degenerative joint disease resulting in bony osteophyte formation. [citation needed]
Cervical canal stenosis may lead to myelopathy, a serious condition causing symptoms including major body weakness and paralysis. [14] Such severe spinal stenosis symptoms are virtually absent in lumbar stenosis , however, as the spinal cord terminates at the top end of the adult lumbar spine, with only nerve roots ( cauda equina ) continuing ...
It can result from whiplash and be overlooked for years by doctors who are not looking for it, despite the chronic pain that accompanies the resultant spinal instability. Ligamentous laxity will show up on an upright magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the only kind of MRI that will show soft tissue damage.
Typically, the pain is worsened by stress on the facet joints, e.g. by lumbar extension and loading (the basis of the Kemp test) or lateral flexion but also by prolonged standing or walking. [citation needed] Pain associated with facet syndrome is often called "referred pain" because symptoms do not follow a specific nerve root pattern. This is ...