Introduction:

Flavum ligament hypertrophy can cause the narrowing of the spinal canal and the compression of neural elements causing clinical symptoms of radiculopathy and/or myelopathy, mainly in patients with spondylo-arthrosis, disc disease and articular facet degeneration.

Clinical report:

A 63-year-old female who eight months ago suffered a fall, colliding her chin on the floor, presenting immediately quadriplegia with sensory level and right C5 motor and left C6 and sphincter control lost, diagnosing myelopathy by hypertrophy of the flavum ligament from C2 to C7. Surgery was performed eight months after the injury, achieving excellent motor and sensory evolution.

Conclusions:

Flavum ligament hypertrophy and thickening is directly related to disc degeneration, decreased intervertebral space and facetary degeneration, causing a spinal narrow channel, especially in the extension of the cervical spine, predominantly in women over 60 years of age. Presence of myelopathy caused by the hypertrophy of flavum ligament is extraordinary.