Eur J Anat, 23 (5): 315-323 (2019)

Morphohistometric study of the ligamentum flavum in cervical,thoracic and lumbar vertebrae: comparative approach

Gamal S. Abd El Aziz¹, Sherif M. Zaki², Magdy M.O. El-Fark³, Hesham N. Mustafa1, Rasha A. Al-Shali1, Raid M. Hamdy¹, Mohammed Bangash⁴

¹Anatomy Dept., Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, KSA, ²Anatomy Dept., Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt, ³Anatomy Dept., Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt, ⁴Surgery Dept., Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, KSA

ABSTRACT Anatomic characterization and fine structure of the human ligamentum flavum (LF), especially at different spinal levels, represent an attractive focus for the scientific and surgical application. Descrip-tive anatomical and structural study of LF at the cervical, thoracic and lumbar levels of the vertebral column in human cadavers is carried out here. The aim of the work is to clarify the anatomical features and fine structural differences in the human LF at different vertebral levels (cervical, thoracic and lumbar). Specimens of vertebral column were ob-tained from 34 human preserved cadavers. Their average age ranged between 56 and 69 years. Morphometric parameters including height, width and thickness of the ligament flavum at the mid-levels of cervical, thoracic and lumbar regions were measured. Sections obtained from different levels were stained with different stains. Morpho-metric measurements involved the relative elastic area, relative collagen area, elastic area% and collagen area% were measured.The results of the height, width and thickness of the LF at different spinal levels showed gradual increase in their mean values respectively. The LF midline gaps were found in the cervical, thoracic and lumbar regions. The morphometrical measure-ments showed that the average elastic area was highest in the cervical region and lowest in the tho-racic region. In the lumbar region, the percentages of both elastic area and the collagen area were nearly the same. The characterization of morpho-logical and histological aspects of the LF at differ-ent spinal levels will be of great importance for ap-plications in spinal surgery, biomechanical and physical rehabilitation of vertebral column.

Keywords: Ligamentum Flavum â?? Spinal â?? Colla-gen and elastic fibers