Biomechanics of the Spinal Cord Compression Due to Cervical Ossification of the Posterior Longitudinal Ligament

Abstract

Cervical myelopathy due to ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) is induced by static factors, dynamic factors, or a combination of both. And decompression procedures for cervical OPLL are anterior decompression with fusion, laminoplasty, and posterior decompression with fusion. We used a three-dimensional finite element method (3D-FEM) to analyze the stress distributions in the cervical spinal cord under static compression, dynamic compression, or a combination of both in the context of OPLL, and preoperative and postoperative stress analyses.