Open door laminoplasty using plates is a safe and effective procedure for multi-level cord compression. To achieve stable laminar arch, various types of plate have been developed and used. Now, we introduce two rare complications related to the laminar shelf of plate.

In the first case, we used the wider laminar shelf plate because the elevated lamina did not fit well into the usual laminar shelf. During follow-up, cord compression due to laminar shelf was observed.

And in the second case, the laminar shelf of plate did not fit into the elevated lamina, so we inserted it with a little bit of force. But the patient’s symptom was not improved. On CT image, the inner cortical bone of the lamina was fractured.

To prevent these complications, surgeons need to consider the thickness of the lamina and the size of the laminar shelf before surgery.