2016 Volume 25 Issue 8 Pages 671-681
Cervical laminoplasty, an excellent operative procedure proposed by Japanese orthopedic surgeons, has been widely accepted by Japanese neurosurgeons. There are several long-term follow-up reports on cervical laminoplasty by orthopedic surgeons, but only a few reports on the procedure have been published by neurosurgeons. In the present study, the follow-up results of cervical laminoplasty performed under the surgical microscope were investigated. Among the 84 patients who underwent double-door laminoplasty between October 2006 and December 2009, 44 patients were analyzed in the study. As to the clinical parameters, the age, gender, Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score, and dynamic changes in the cervical spine were examined preoperatively and postoperatively.
Of the 44 patients included in the study, 33 were males and 11 were females, and their mean age was 64.1 years, with an age range of 23 to 83 years.
The mean follow-up period was 5.1 years (3-6.8 years). The disorders observed are as follows : 32 patients with cervical spondylosis, 9 patients with ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL), 2 patients with cervical soft disc herniation, and 1 with spinal cord injury. Although the JOA scoring method was slightly different preoperatively (nurse oriented) and postoperatively (patient self-filling), the average JOA score was 11.1 preoperatively and 12.8 postoperatively. The range of cervical motion was reduced by about 35% postoperatively. No serious cervical complication was noticed in the present series. The operative result was confirmed to be satisfactory in the present study compared with other reported studies.
