Y. Toyama - Böcker

Ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) is a hyperostotic condition of the spine with severe neurological deficits. In 1975 the Investigation Committee for OPLL, under the auspices of the Japanese Ministry of Health and Welfare, established diagnostic criteria for the condition, and with growing awareness of OPLL among Japanese researchers and spinal surgeons, the number of patients diagnosed with the condition in Japan has increased in recent years. As knowledge of OPLL has spread, there has also been an increase in the number of reported cases of the condition in other parts of the world: Asia, the United States, and Europe. Until now, however, little has been published on the subject in English; thus the appearance of this present volume is most timely. It brings together information on all aspects of OPLL - epidemiology, etiology, diagnosis, and treatment - with contributions by Japanese researchers and surgeons, including members of the Ministry of Health and Welfare Investigation Committee, and by American surgeons with expertise in the field. This collection of reports on OPLL, amply augmented with illustrations, will be of special interest to orthopedic surgeons and neurosurgeons, and to neurologists, rheumatologists, neuroradiologists, and pathologists.

Cervical laminoplasty for the treatment of ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament was developed and refined in Japan during the 1970s. Since that time, various cervical laminoplasty techniques have been further analyzed and modified, and have proven to be clinically successful. Until now cervical laminoplasty has been practiced primarily in Japan, and surgeons outside Japan had only limited access to the detailed English literature needed to make full use of the procedures. This book fills that gap in English information and provides a detailed, up-to-date guide to performing safe and effective cervical laminoplasty. Drawing on the latest knowledge from Japan, the book covers the history of cervical laminoplasty, surgical anatomy, basic procedures, modified procedures, possible complications, and perspectives on the future of expansive laminoplasty. This volume by leaders in the field is an excellent guide for all surgeons interested in laminoplasty.