Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Studies have demonstrated that type Ⅰ and type Ⅱ collagen proteins play an important role in osteocytes proliferation and differentiation, sclerotic formation and absorption.
OBJECTIVE: To study the relationship between the degeneration of the lumbar ligamentum flavum and the morphological change of lumbar canal in the lumbar spinal stenosis.
METHODS: The ligament flavum specimens from 36 cases of the central lumbar spinal stenosis and 20 cases of the lumbar fracture as experimental group and control group respectively. The contents of type Ⅰ and type Ⅱ collagen were determined by ELISA. The morphological change of lumbar canal was measured by CT scanning. Histopathological changes of the ligamentum flavum were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining and Masson staining.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The thickness of ligamentum flavum and content of type Ⅰ and type Ⅱ collagen in the experimental group were higher than those in the control group, the lumbar canal morphological area and the ratio of Ⅰ/Ⅱ type collagen in the experimental group were lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). Pathological observation showed that the elastic fibers of ligamentum flavum were disorganized and decreased in experimental group, while collagen fibers proliferated. The change of the type Ⅰ and type Ⅱ collagen content in ligamentum flavum and the ratio of Ⅰ/Ⅱ type collagen may lead to the increasing hypertrophic ligamentum flavum thickness and decrease of lumbar canal cross-section which caused the lumbar spinal stenosis.