title: Life Expectancy After Cervical En Bloc Laminoplasty: Analysis of Data Following More Than 20 Years.
abstract: METHODS
  Case series.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To clarify the following questions How long after cervical laminoplasty did the patients die? What were the causes of the death? Was the severity of the neurological dysfunction related to early death?
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Life expectancy in patients with cervical myelopathy is unclear. Cervical laminoplasty was performed in 216 patients between 1981 and 1994. It was possible to follow 148 patients for more than 20 years. We used the data of the 68 survivors and the 80 patients had already died.
  
  
  METHODS
  As for the patients who died by the final follow-up, the survival rate was analyzed by a Kaplan-Meier plot; the results were compared between the patients with cervical spondylosis (CS) and the patients with ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL). The causes of the death were assessed. The neurological evaluation was graded using the score devised by the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA). The pre- and postoperative scores were compared between the patients in the died group (D group) and the surviving patients group (S group).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean period from surgery to death was 13.4 ± 7.4 years. There was no difference in the survival rate between patients with CS and patients with OPLL. The most frequent cause of death was malignant tumor followed by ischemic heart disease. Preoperative JOA score in the D group was lower than that in the S group. There was no statistical difference in postoperative JOA score between the two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The patients who underwent cervical laminoplasty caused by compression myelopathy due to CS and OPLL had a long life expectancy, averaging more than 13 years. Life expectancy did not differ between patients with CS and patients with OPLL. Neurological deficit did not directly affect the life expectancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  4.
authors: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan.
authors: Yoshiharu
authors: Y
authors: Kawaguchi
authors: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan.
authors: Masato
authors: M
authors: Nakano
authors: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan.
authors: Taketoshi
authors: T
authors: Yasuda
authors: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan.
authors: Shoji
authors: S
authors: Seki
authors: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan.
authors: Takeshi
authors: T
authors: Hori
authors: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan.
authors: Kayo
authors: K
authors: Suzuki
authors: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan.
authors: Hiroto
authors: H
authors: Makino
authors: Department of Human Science, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan.
authors: Masahiko
authors: M
authors: Kanamori
authors: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan.
authors: Tomoatsu
authors: T
authors: Kimura
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D065406:Laminoplasty / Q000401:mortality* / Q000639:trends*; D008017:Life Expectancy / Q000639:trends*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017887:Ossification of Posterior Longitudinal Ligament / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D055009:Spondylosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D013223:Statistics as Topic / Q000639:trends*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome