Turkiye Fiziksel Tip ve Rehabilitasyon Dergisi, vol.60, no.SUPPL. 1, 2014 (SCI-Expanded)
Thoracic myelopathy is an uncommon condition and may be due to diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH), ossified posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL), ossified ligamentum flavum (OLF), and disc herniation. In the present case, we discussed a patient with DISH who presented with weakness and numbness in both legs and gait difficulty after a sudden trauma. Disc herniation, bridging new bone formation, and OLF were found to contribute to severe spinal canal narrowing. Although DISH is a disease of elderly patients, the patient was relatively young with no history of diabetes and obesity. Furthermore, the patient was asymptomatic until a minor trauma. This case was reported for clinicians to be aware of this rare condition, in which prompt diagnosis and early surgical management may result in better prognosis. © 2014 by Turkish Society of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.