title: [Effects of cervical vertebrae degeneration on traumatic cervical cord injury].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effects of cervical vertebrae degeneration on traumatic cervical cord injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  From January 2009 to December 2010, 24 patients with cervical cord injury without obvious fractures and dislocations were treated with operation, and their data were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 16 males and 8 females, aged from 46 to 70 years old with an average of 59.1 years. Patients were divided into light degeneration group (6 cases), moderate degeneration group (10 cases) and severe degeneration group (8 cases), according to the preoperative degenerative degree of cervical vertebrae. Preoperative neurological dysfunction and postoperative neurological recovery were compared according to the JOA scores of Japanese Orthopaedic Society; quality of life were evaluated according to SF-36 scale (36-item Short Form Health Survey, SF-36).
  
  
  RESULTS
  All patients were followed up from 4 to 16 months with an average of 12 months. The JOA score of light, moderate, severe degeneration group were 12.1 +/- 1.5, 10.3 +/- 1.8, 7.3 +/- 1.0, respectively; and were respectively increased to 16.3 +/- 1.0, 15.3 +/- 1.4, 13.0 +/- 2.3 at the 3 months after operation. Postoperative JOA score showed the improvement rate of mid-long-term neurological level was light degeneration group (89.8%) > moderate degeneration group (76.6%) > severe degeneration group (58.8%). The results of preoperative SF-36 scale showed light degeneration group > moderate degeneration group > severe degeneration group; there was significant difference in comparison of two groups (P < 0.05 ).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cervical degeneration is an important pathologic basis and risk factor in traumatic cervical cord injury, and the degenerative degree will directly influence the injury degree and prognosis of neurological function, the clinical relationship between them should be sufficiently paid attention to.
authors.affiliation: Wenzhou Medical College, Zhejiang, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Guo-Jian
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Weng
authors.forename: Xiao-Feng
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Ming-Hua
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Xie
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000150:complications*