title: Posterior cervical spine surgery for radiculopathy.
abstract: It is now common knowledge that cervical radiculopathy, frequently caused by disc herniation and/or degeneration, will often improve without surgical intervention. Only a small percentage of patients with the severity of symptoms necessitate surgical treatment. Surgery for radiculopathy is indicated for motor weakness, progressive neurological deficits, and progressive symptoms that do not improve with nonoperative treatment. Advantages and disadvantages exist for both ventral and dorsal approaches in the surgical treatment of cervical radiculopathy. Indications and results for dorsal nerve root decompression are discussed, and a review of our preferred techniques, including use of minimally invasive technology, is presented.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Washington University, School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA. riewd@msnotes.wustl.edu
authors.forename: K Daniel
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Riew
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Luiz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pimenta
authors.forename: Brett
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Taylor
mesh_terms: D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery*; D019299:Decompression, Surgical; D017586:Diskectomy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D011843:Radiculopathy / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*