Study design: A retrospective cohort study with prospectively collected data.
Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical and radiological outcome of cervical laminoplasty for cervical myelopathy with degenerative spondylolisthesis.
Summary of background data: The presence of spondylolisthesis is thought to represent segmental instability in spine. Cervical laminoplasty is a common decompression surgery for cervical myelopathy, but its clinical result for cervical spondylolisthesis has not been well studied.
Methods: One hundred seventeen patients who underwent cervical laminoplasty for degenerative cervical myelopathy were included. Japanese Orthopaedic Association score (JOA score) and visual analog scale of neck pain, upper arm pain and numbness were evaluated before surgery, and at scheduled time points after surgery. Spondylolisthesis was defined as more than 2 mm slip on plain radiograph, and the clinical results were compared between the patients with spondylolisthesis (group S) and without spondylolisthesis (group C). In the patients with spondylolisthesis, the slip distance and translational motion between flexion and extension was examined on plain lateral radiograph before surgery and 2 years after surgery.
Results: Degenerative cervical spondylolisthesis was found in 49 levels of 33 patients (28.2%), and the average age of group S was significantly higher than group C. JOA score and each VAS score was significantly improved after surgery in both groups. Average JOA score of group S was significantly lower than group C at every time points, but the recovery rate was similar between the two groups. In the level of spondylolisthesis, average slip distance did not changed, but average translational motion was significantly decreased in 2years after surgery.
Conclusion: Cervical spondylolisthesis was common in elderly patients. The clinical outcome in group S was comparable with group C, and the level with spondylolisthesis has been stabilized after surgery. Thus, laminoplasty can be a treatment option even for cervical myelopathy with degenerative spondylolisthesis.
Level of evidence: 3.