Single-Site Retrospective Assessment of Surgical Outcomes in Non-Ambulatory Patients with Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy

Study Design. A retrospective study of surgical outcomes in patients with degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM). Objective. To better characterize outcomes following cervical decompression in those with severe, non-ambulatory forms of DCM. Summary of Background Data. DCM represents a collection of age-related degenerative processes of the cervical spine that can result in motor, sensory, and autonomic dysfunction, leading to significant reductions in quality of life. Individuals with severe, non-ambulatory forms of DCM are often treated with spinal decompression although the extent of neurological improvement for this patient population is unclear. Methods. A retrospective analysis of 48 non-consecutive non-ambulatory patients who underwent cervical decompression surgery between January 2007 and December 2018. Paired t tests and Wilcoxon signed rank tests were used to compare Nurick grade and modified Japanese Orthopedic Association (mJOA) score before and after surgery. Patient demographics, operative details, and postsurgical complications were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results. Patients experienced significant improvements in both Nurick grade and mJOA score following cervical decompression surgery. The mean Nurick grade improved from 4.10 ± 0.31 to 2.21 ± 0.82 (P 
Source: Spine - Category: Orthopaedics Tags: CERVICAL SPINE Source Type: research