Background: Ligamentum flavum (LF) when thickens can contribute to spinal canal stenosis and nerve roots compression.
Objective: To Assess the relationship of Ligamentum flavum with age, sex and side
Patients and Method: This was a cross-sectional study conducted at MRI unit in AlHilla teaching hospital. Included 60 patients aged 20–80 years with low back pain and/or radiculopathy. Patients with a history of previous lumbar surgery or radiotherapy, congenital anomalies, scoliosis, spondylolisthesis, cardiac pacemakers, aneurysms, clips and metallic implants and joint replacements were excluded.
Results: The mean LF thickness at left side was 3.50 ± 0.6 mm in males and 3.72 ± 0.69 mm in females. In right side the values were not much different where the mean LF thickness in males and females was 3.30 ± 0.64 and 3.52 ± 0.66, respectively. Female had thicker LF than male but the difference did not reach the statistical significance.
It had been found that the mean LF thickness in both sides increased with advancing age, (p < 0.05). According to the level, it had been significantly found that in both sides the LF was thicker at the L4–L5 level than other two levels, and no statistically significant differences had been found between both sides when compared at each level
Conclusion: Advanced age and female gender were found to be independently raise the risk of LF thickness, The study suggest that LF measurement should be interpreted in conjunction with patients’ variables specially age and gender.
Keywords: Ligamentum flavum (LF); Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).