title: Cervical laminectomy and foraminotomy as surgical treatment of cervical spondylosis: a follow-up study with analysis of failures.
abstract: Ninety patients were followed after undergoing multilevel cervical laminectomy for cervical myeloradiculopathy secondary to cervical stenosis. Follow-up data was obtained by chart review and phone interview for all patients; 20% were examined at follow-up as well; 77% of patients were improved, 13% without change, and 10% worse at follow-up. No patients deteriorated in the immediate postoperative period. Greater than 50% of severely disabled patients had an excellent result, and 78% improved somewhat. It is concluded that cervical laminectomy is an effective procedure for treating patients with cervical spondylosis causing myeloradiculopathy. Reasons for failure of this procedure, although rarely identified on follow-up examination, are reviewed and briefly discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, New York Hospital-Cornell University Medical Center, New York 10021.
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Snow
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Weiner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery*; D003711:Demyelinating Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D007796:Laminectomy / Q000009:adverse effects; D008875:Middle Aged; D009408:Nerve Compression Syndromes / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D013126:Spinal Nerve Roots; D013128:Spinal Osteophytosis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D013130:Spinal Stenosis / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000209:etiology; D017211:Treatment Failure