title: Long-term follow-up of cervical spondylotic myelopathy treated by canal-expansive laminoplasty.
abstract: We have studied 29 patients for at least five years after canal-expansive laminoplasty for cervical spondylotic myelopathy. The short- and long-term clinical results were compared, and successive radiographs assessed. The long-term clinical outcome was excellent in five patients, good in 12, fair in 11 and poor in one. The mean short- and long-term improvements were 54.4% and 48.5% but patients with focal kyphotic, kyphotic and S-shaped cervical spines did less well, as did those who had a decrease in the index of curvature of the cervical spine of more than 10 at follow-up. Canal-expansive laminoplasty with reconstitution of the posterior soft tissues may help to prevent postoperative malalignment and late neurological deterioration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, San-in Rosai Hospital, Tottori, Japan.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shingu
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nasu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000209:etiology; D007738:Kyphosis / Q000209:etiology; D007796:Laminectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D013128:Spinal Osteophytosis / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome