title: Indications for circumferential surgery for cervical spondylotic myelopathy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The surgical management of patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) remains challenging.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To review the indications, techniques, and results of circumferential fusion for CSM.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Circumferential decompression and stabilization with instrumentation is a viable option to treat selected complex cervical spine disorders. It provides immediate stabilization of the spine, decreases anterior graft and instrumentation failure, and can obviate the need for postoperative halo immobilization.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.
authors.forename: Paul K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Joseph T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Alexander
mesh_terms: D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery*; D019299:Decompression, Surgical; D006801:Humans; D009984:Orthopedic Fixation Devices; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery*; D013123:Spinal Fusion / Q000379:methods*; D013128:Spinal Osteophytosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome