The Factors Affecting Surgical Results in Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy

Lee, Kyu Yeol; Sohn, Sung Keun; Lee, Myung Jin; Kim, Wook

Abstract

STUDY DESIGN: This is a retrospective study on the factors affecting the surgical results for cervical spondylotic myelopathy.
OBJECTIVES
We wanted to analyze the clinical and radiologic factors affecting the results of treatment for cervical spondylotic myelopathy patients who underwent anterior decompression with fusion or open door laminoplasty. SUMMARY OF THE LITERATURE REVIEW: Many authors have reported on the prognostic factors affecting the results of surgical treatment for cervical spondylotic myelopathy; some of the reported factors do affect the results, but there is a wide range of opinion about them.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
We reviewed 38 patients who underwent anterior decompression with fusion or open door laminoplasty for cervical spondylotic myelopathy between March 1999 and Dec. 2003. We analyzed the factors, including age, the duration of symptoms, the symptomatic classification, the preoperative and postoperative JOA scores, the compression ratio of the spinal cord and the surgical method. RESULT: The mean JOA score increased from 10.3+/-3.4 preoperatively to 14.9+/-4.6 postoperatively with a recovery rate of 69.0% +/- 21.24%. The preoperative JOA score and the compression ratio of the spinal cord on MRI correlated positively with the recovery rate. The patients' age showed negative correlation with the recovery rate. There is no difference between the two surgical methods for the recovery rate.
CONCLUSION
The preoperative JOA score, the patients' age and the spinal cord compression ratio on MRI are the prognostic factors affecting the surgical results, but there are no difference between the two surgical method.