title: Prognostic Factors for Postsurgical Recovery of Deltoid Palsy due to Cervical Disc Herniations.
abstract: METHODS
  Retrospective multicenter study.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to investigate prognostic factors affecting postsurgical recovery of deltoid palsy due to cervical disc herniation (CDH).
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Little information is available about prognostic factors affecting postsurgical recovery of deltoid palsy due to CDH.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-one patients with CDH causing deltoid palsy (less than grade 3) were included in this study: 35 soft discs and 26 hard discs. Average duration of preoperative deltoid palsy was 11.9 weeks. Thirty-two patients underwent single-level surgery, 22 two-level, four three-level, and three four-level. Patients with accompanying myelopathy, shoulder diseases, or peripheral neuropathy were excluded from the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Deltoid palsy (2.4 grades vs. 4.5 grades, p<0.001) and radiculopathy (6.4 points vs. 2.1 points, p<0.001) significantly improved after surgery. Thirty-six of 61 patients (59%) achieved full recovery (grade 5) of deltoid palsy, with an average time of 8.4 weeks. Longer duration of preoperative deltoid palsy and more severe radiculopathy negatively affected the degree of improvement in deltoid palsy. Age, gender, number of surgery level, and disc type did not affect the degree of improvement of deltoid palsy. Contrary to our expectations, severity of preoperative deltoid palsy did not affect the degree of improvement. Due to the shorter duration of preoperative deltoid palsy, in the context of rapid referral, early surgical decompression resulted in significant recovery of more severe grades (grade 0 or 1) of deltoid palsy compared to grade 2 or 3 deltoid palsy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Early surgical decompression significantly improved deltoid palsy caused by CDH, irrespective of age, gender, number of surgery level, and disc type. However, longer duration of deltoid palsy and more severe intensity of preoperative radiating pain were associated with less improvement of deltoid palsy postoperatively.
authors.affiliation: Cervical Spine Study Group, Korean Society of Spine Surgery, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jae-Yoon
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Cervical Spine Study Group, Korean Society of Spine Surgery, Seoul, Korea. ; Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Uijeongbu St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Uijeongbu, Korea.
authors.forename: Jong-Beom
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Cervical Spine Study Group, Korean Society of Spine Surgery, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Han
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Cervical Spine Study Group, Korean Society of Spine Surgery, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Kyung-Jin
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Cervical Spine Study Group, Korean Society of Spine Surgery, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jin-Hyok
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Cervical Spine Study Group, Korean Society of Spine Surgery, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Chang-Hwa
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Cervical Spine Study Group, Korean Society of Spine Surgery, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jung Sub
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Cervical Spine Study Group, Korean Society of Spine Surgery, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sang-Hun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Cervical Spine Study Group, Korean Society of Spine Surgery, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Kwang-Sup
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Cervical Spine Study Group, Korean Society of Spine Surgery, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jae Jun
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Cervical Spine Study Group, Korean Society of Spine Surgery, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jae-Hyung
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Uh
authors.affiliation: Cervical Spine Study Group, Korean Society of Spine Surgery, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Young-Tae
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Uijeongbu St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Uijeongbu, Korea.
authors.forename: Jae Min
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Lee
keywords: Cervical disc herniation; Deltoid palsy; Postsurgical recovery; Prognostic factors