Abstract
A consecutive series of 168 patients with cervical radicular symptoms were treated by microcervical foraminotomy. A hundred forty-nine of these patients followed up over 12 months (average 43 months) were included in this study.
The outcome was satisfactory in 63 of 74 (85%) radiculopathy patients, and in 54 of 75 (72%) myeloradiculopathy patients. The rate of the satisfactory outcome was higher for cervical disc herniation (76 out of 81 [94%]) than for other cervical degenerative diseases (51 out of 68 [75%]), including spondylosis in 54, ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament in 15 and ossification of the yellow ligament in 2.
As compared to the anterior decompression surgery, the microsurgical posterior decompression enabled the patients to return to the previous daily activities earlier with the surgical result being almost equal to the previous reports of anterior procedures.
Our posterior procedure would be best indicated for the patient with cervical disc herniation located laterally or the patient with cervical myeloradiculopathy.
