The authors assessed functional disability scale scoring for cervical spondylotic myelopathy and generic quality of life (QOL) in patients who have undergone laminoplasty. The study involved a prospective cohort of 18 surgically treated patients with cervical compressive myelopathy. The clinical state and generic QOL of the patients were assessed by the Japanese Orthopaedic Association score (JOA score) and the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 version 1.2 (SF-36) before treatment and at 6 months after surgery. The JOA score showed that clinical state had improved significantly. The score on 5 of 8 scales and 1 component summary measure of the SF-36 (General Health (GH), Vitality (VT), Social Function (SF), Role Emotional (RE) score and Mental Component Summary Measure (MCS) of the SF-36) improved significantly, although, every score in all of the scales had increased after surgery. Significant correlation was observed between JOA score and the SF-36 scale for Bodily Pain (BP), Physical Functioning (PF), SF and the Physical Component Summary measure (PCS). These results suggest that SF-36 was responsive and able to assessed generic QOL which could not be assessed by JOA score in patients with cervical compressive myelopathy.
