Abstract
The clinical outcomes in 34 patients following laminoplasty for cervical myelopathy were assessed whether they are related or not to the findings of magnetic resonance imaging at the most stenotic level of the spinal cord. The morphologic parameters measured were not correlated with the clinical improvement evaluated with the JOA score. Twenty patients showed a high-intesnity signal within the spinal cord on T2-weighted sagittal images, and they had a significantly poorer improvement. Nine patients who showed normal intramedullary structure on postoperative axial MR images (gradient echo) had a tendency of better results. As far as the patient who had a postoperative improvement rate of less than 50% were concerned, the clinical improvement was not related to the presence of the increased signal intensity of the spinal cord on MR imaging
