The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the postoperative results of aged patients, greater than 65 years old, with cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). In this report, 46 aged patients were compared with a total of 320 cases with CSM. They consist of 31 males and 15 females. The duration of symptoms varied from 1 month to 23 years (averaged 23.7 months).
The results were as follows:
1. The degree of CSM was more severe in the aged group and particularly motor function of the lower extremity.
2. The duration of symptoms were longer in the aged group.
3. 23 cases (50%) in 46 of the aged group were operated through a posterior approach, and 99 cases (31%) in 320 of all patients.
4. The postoperative short-term results of 46 cases were excellent in 20%, good in 35% and fair in 41% in aged patients, and in 40%, in 33% and in 19% in all patients.
5. Patients in the aged group, with preoperative findings of deteriorated symptoms, gained good results.
6. The short-term results of 28 cases, which were followed from 3 to 19 years (mean 9 years), were excellent in 7 cases (25%), good in 12 (43%), fair in 8 (29%), and the long-term results (mean 8.9 years) excellent in 7 cases (25%), good in 7 cases (25%), fair in 4 (14%).