Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to describe the postoperative results of aged patients more than 70 years old with cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). In this report, 20 cases were picked up of all 300 cases with CSM and were compared with all cases. They consist of 13 males and 7 females. Duration of symptoms varied from 2 months to 60 months, the average being 18 months. Nine patients underwent anterior approach and 11 patients did posterior.
Aged patients' group was evaluated with regard to 8 factors: duration of symptom, severity, clinical course, surgical methods, personal history, postoperative complications, duration of bed rest, and postoperative results.
The results were as follows:
1) The postoperative results were excellent in 15% and good in 25% in aged patients, and in 40% and in 32% in all patients.
2) Aged patients under 10 point in JOA score were 13 cases (65%).
3) Cases with short preoperative periods of deteriorated symptoms gained good results, but cases with chronic course or long duration from a rapid change gained poor results.
These results shows that important factors which influence the postoperative results in aged patients are duration of symptoms and severity more than age, and that aged patients should be operated as early as possible, not to lose an opportunity, if indicated.
