A Study on Bilateral Ossified Pterygospinous Ligament and Its Clinical Significance

Abstract

The pterygospinous ligament extends from lateral pterygoid plate to spine of sphenoid bone. The ossification of pterygospinous ligament is very rare. The pterygospinous ligament located close to foramen ovale and of anatomical, clinical and surgical importance because ossified ligaments may compress neurovascular structures present in region of foramen ovale causing trigeminal neuralgia. In many studies, the incomplete ossified pterygospinous ligament was more common than complete one and unilateral ossified pterygospinous ligament was more common than the bilateral one. Whether complete or incomplete ossified pterygospinous ligament can produce various symptoms depending upon the dimensions of the pterygospinous foramina and grades of neurovascular compression. Antonopoulou et al observed incompletely ossified pterygospinous ligaments in 2.5% skulls and completely ossified pterygospinous bridge bilaterally in 2% of the skulls by 3D reconstruction in a CT image. The present study, analysed morphologicaly exposed the presence of bilateral ossified pterygospinous ligament and civininis foramen which are clinically important with an incidence 0.95% found 1 out of 105 dried human adult skull bones of either sex. Therefore, the knowledge of Anatomical variation of the pterygospinous ligament- ossification is clinically important to radiologists and neurosurgeons, maxillofacial and dental surgeons, and anaesthetists along with academically for anatomists and anthropologists.