title: The treatment of spondylotic cervical myelopathy by ventral discectomy. Long term results on 121 patients.
abstract: The pathophysiology of spondylotic cervical myelopathy is still a matter of discussion. This paper presents a series of 126 patients operated on using a ventral approach. In 47% of the patients only a spondylotic narrowing of the spinal canal was present and in 35% an additional disc herniation was found. In 13% of the cases however a soft disc without spondylotic spures was found and in 5% a dislocation of vertebral bodies. We found a marked male preponderance of 77%, mean age was 51.6 years, ranging from 25-50 years. Most patients were operated on at the levels of C4/5 and C5/6. Observation time covered a period of 3-10 years. The outcome was rated relatively to the preoperative degree of disablement using a questionnaire for the patients and their family doctors. We found a marked difference in the answers, especially in rating deterioration, which was stated by patients in 34%, by physicians only in 12%. Another finding was the time-related outcome. We found best results with 75% improvement and 5% deterioration between 3-6 months postoperatively, with increasing time the results decreased to 33% improvement, 33% identical statys and in 33% a deterioration related to the preoperative status must be noted.
authors.affiliation: Neurosurgical Clinic Klinikum Grosshadern, Ludwig Maximilian University Munich, Fed. Rep. of Germany.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hamburger
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lanksch
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Oeckler
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bachmann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D017586:Diskectomy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D013130:Spinal Stenosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*