The Prevalence of Cervical Ossification of the Posterior Longitudinal Ligament ( OPLL ) in the Māori and Non‐Māori Population in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand

AIM: The primary objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of cervical ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) among Māori compared to non-Māori populations in the Bay of Plenty (BOP) region of New Zealand. METHODS: Cervical spine and trauma CT scans performed between 2021 and 2025 were retrospectively reviewed for evidence of cervical OPLL. Patients aged ≥ 40 years with available ethnicity data and adequate imaging was included. Cases with a prior diagnosis of OPLL were excluded to reduce selection bias. RESULTS: A total of 423 CT scans were from the BOP region, comprising 224 Māori and 199 non-Māori patients. Cervical OPLL was identified in 15 Māori patients, with one case excluded due to prior diagnosis. This yielded a statistically significant OPLL prevalence of 6.4% (14/223, p = 0.0133) among Māori in BOP. Māori in BOP were 6.6 times more likely to have cervical OPLL compared to non-Māori (OR: 6.60, 95% CI: 1.48-29.4). In the non-Māori BOP cohort, two cases of cervical OPLL were identified, resulting in a prevalence of 1.0% (2/199). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates a significantly higher prevalence of cervical OPLL in the Māori population of the Bay of Plenty compared to non-Māori.