title: Outcomes of secondary laminoplasty for patients with unsatisfactory results after anterior multilevel cervical surgery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the causes for failed anterior cervical surgery and the outcomes of secondary laminoplasty.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventeen patients failed anterior multilevel cervical surgery and the following conservative treatments between Feb 2003 and May 2011 underwent secondary laminoplasty. Outcomes were evaluated by the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) Scale and visual analogue scale (VAS) before the secondary surgery, at 1 week, 2 months, 6 months, and the final visit. Cervical alignment, causes for revision and complications were also assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With a mean follow-up of 29.7±12.1 months, JOA score, recovery rate and excellent to good rate improved significantly at 2 months (p<0.05) and maintained thereafter (p>0.05). Mean VAS score decreased postoperatively (p<0.05). Lordotic angle maintained during the entire follow up (p>0.05). The causes for secondary surgery were inappropriate approach in 3 patients, insufficient decompression in 4 patients, adjacent degeneration in 2 patients, and disease progression in 8 patients. Complications included one case of C5 palsy, axial pain and cerebrospinal fluid leakage, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Laminoplasty has satisfactory results in failed multilevel anterior surgery, with a low incidence of complications.
authors: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
authors: Hong-Wei
authors: HW
authors: Liu
authors: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
authors: Liang
authors: L
authors: Chen
authors: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Changzhou No. 2 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, China.
authors: Nan-Wei
authors: NW
authors: Xu
authors: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
authors: Hui-Lin
authors: HL
authors: Yang
authors: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
authors: Yong
authors: Y
authors: Gu
keywords: Anterior corpectomy and fusion; Anterior discectomy and fusion; Cervical spondylosis; Laminoplasty