Treatment considerations of cervical spondylotic myelopathy.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Shiban E
PROVIDER: S-EPMC5764527 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Aug
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
Treatment considerations of cervical spondylotic myelopathy.
Shiban Ehab E Meyer Bernhard B
Neurology. Clinical practice 20140801 4
Cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) is the leading cause of myelopathy in patients over age 50 years. Despite advances, CSM remains a clinical diagnosis and its natural history remains unclear. The treatment of CSM is controversial, especially in patients with mild or moderate clinical disease without rapid progression of symptoms. Herein, we begin with a clinical vignette followed by a brief description of the clinical problems. We discuss evaluation, treatment, and recommendations for the tr ...[more]
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Project description:BackgroundCervical spondylosis is now recognised as the leading cause of myelopathy and spinal cord dysfunction worldwide. Chronic spinal cord compression results in chronic inflammation, cellular apoptosis, and microvacular insufficiency, which are thought to the biologic basis for cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM).Questions/purposesOur purpose was to address the key principles of CSM, including natural history and presentation, pathogenesis, optimal surgical approach, results and complication rates of posterior surgical approaches for CSM so that the rationale for addressing CSM by a posterior approach can be fully understood.MethodsWe conducted a systematic search of PubMed/MEDLINE and the Cochrane Collaboration Library for literature published through February 2014 to identify articles that evaluated CSM and its management. Reasons for exclusion included patients with ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL), patients with degenerative disc disease without CSM, and patients with spine tumor, trauma and infection. Meeting abstracts/proceedings, white articles and editorials were additionally excluded.ResultsThe search strategy yielded 1,292 articles, which was reduced to 52 articles, after our exclusion criteria were introduced. CSM is considered to be a surgical disorder due to its progressive nature. There is currently no consensus in the literature whether multilevel spondylotic compression is best treated via an anterior or posterior surgical approach.ConclusionMultilevel CSM may be safely and effectively treated using a posterior approach, either by laminoplasty or with a laminectomy and fusion technique.
| S-EPMC4342399 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundCervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) is a common indication for cervical spine surgery. Surgical options include anterior, posterior, or combined procedures each with specific advantages and disadvantages.Questions/purposesThis article will provide a description of the various anterior alternatives and discuss the available evidence used in guiding the surgical decision making process with the aim of answering the following questions: (1) What anatomical/disease related factors favor anterior over posterior surgeries? (2) What are the common anterior procedures and how safe and effective are they? (3) What are the most effective options for multilevel CSM? (4) Is there a role for motion preservation? An additional objective is to discuss technical advances that have improved success rates for anterior procedures.MethodsThe PubMed database was searched. Keywords were CSM and anterior surgery. Three hundred eighty two articles were found one hundred three were reviewed. Articles describing anterior cervical techniques were selected along with studies describing the various anterior techniques or comparisons of anterior to posterior techniques.ResultsAnterior decompression and fusion procedures are more effective than posterior procedures for patients with primarily ventrally located compression especially in the presence of cervical kyphosis. ACDF, ACCF, and hybrid combinations are safe and effective treatment options for multilevel CSM. Anterior procedures may be more cost effective and result in significantly improved postoperative quality of life and health-related quality of life measures compared to posterior procedures.ConclusionAnterior cervical decompression techniques are safe and effective in the treatment of CSM. Anterior surgeries may be preferable to posterior approaches, when considering health-related quality of life measures and cost effectiveness.
| S-EPMC4342400 | biostudies-literature
Project description:MethodsTwenty patients with CSM and 17 controls were recruited. Clinical scores of modified Japanese Orthopedic Association (mJOA) and Nurick were collected. MRI based compression grades such as cord distortion were assessed. Hand dysfunction was tested using a custom motorized apparatus. Subject's forearm was placed in a cast and positioned such that their metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint was vertically aligned with the motor shaft. Surface electromyographic sensors were placed on flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) and extensor digitorum communis muscles. Hyperreflexia was measured as the FDS muscle activation during reflex when the MCP joint was moved from flexion to extension at 300°/sec. Proprioception was quantified as the angle of detection in absence of visual or auditory cues (subjects were blindfolded and given noise-cancelling headphones). Strength was measured as the maximum isometric force at the MCP joint. 2-sample t-test (p<0.05) were performed to assess significant differences in reflexes, proprioception and strength among patients and controls (SPSS software version 24).ResultsPatients reported higher Nurick (1.90±1.0 vs 0±0, p<0.001) and lower mJOA scores (14.3±1.9 vs 18.0±0, p<0.001) as compared to controls. Similarly, patients with CSM had increased reflexes (peak FDS EMG) (0.073±0.096 vs. 0.014±0.010, p = 0.019). Patient proprioception was significantly worse; mean angle of detection was greater than twice as high in patients (9.6± 9.43°) compared to controls (4.0± 2.3°), p = 0.022. MRI based compression ratio (CR) was a significant predictor of hyperreflexia, CR<0.44 resulted in steep increase in reflex activity. Fifteen of the 20 patients who completed follow up testing at 6 months after surgery show substantial clinical improvement in reflexes and proprioceptive angle, while repeated testing in controls were unchanged.ConclusionIn conclusion, hyperreflexia and decline in proprioception are the main drivers of hand disability in patients with CSM. Of multiple scales, only a select few MRI scales (such as compression ratio) were predictive of increased reflexes. The study describes a pre-clinical testing apparatus to quantitatively and objectively assess primary presenting symptoms in CSM. This pilot apparatus has the potential to evaluate treatment efficacy through repeated testing. Objective testing of hand dysfunction can help inform the design of clinically feasible devices, guide MRI biomarker analysis, and improve our understanding of the progression of neurological injury in this patient population.
| S-EPMC6816552 | biostudies-literature
Project description:STUDY DESIGN:Review. OBJECTIVES:Cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) is a major cause of disability, particular in elderly patients. Awareness and understanding of CSM is imperative to facilitate early diagnosis and management. This review article addresses CSM with regard to its epidemiology, anatomical considerations, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, imaging characteristics, treatment approaches and outcomes, and the cost-effectiveness of surgical options. METHODS:The authors performed an extensive review of the peer-reviewed literature addressing the aforementioned objectives. RESULTS:The clinical presentation and natural history of CSM is variable, alternating between quiescent and insidious to stepwise decline or rapid neurological deterioration. For mild CSM, conservative options could be employed with careful observation. However, surgical intervention has shown to be superior for moderate to severe CSM. The success of operative or conservative management of CSM is multifactorial and high-quality studies are lacking. The optimal surgical approach is still under debate, and can vary depending on the number of levels involved, location of the pathology and baseline cervical sagittal alignment. CONCLUSIONS:Early recognition and treatment of CSM, before the onset of spinal cord damage, is essential for optimal outcomes. The goal of surgery is to decompress the cord with expansion of the spinal canal, while restoring cervical lordosis, and stabilizing when the risk of cervical kyphosis is high. Further high-quality randomized clinical studies with long-term follow up are still needed to further define the natural history and help predict the ideal surgical strategy.
| S-EPMC5582708 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Prospective observational cohort study.To determine if postoperative cervical sagittal balance is an independent predictor of health-related quality of life outcome after surgery for cervical spondylotic myelopathy.Both ventral and dorsal fusion procedures for CSM are effective at reducing the symptoms of myelopathy. The importance of cervical sagittal balance in predicting overall health-related quality of life outcome after ventral versus dorsal surgery for CSM has not been previously explored.A prospective, nonrandomized cohort of 49 patients undergoing dorsal and ventral fusion surgery for CSM was examined. Preoperative and postoperative C2-C7 sagittal vertical axis was measured on standing lateral cervical spine radiographs. Outcome was assessed with 2 disease-specific measures-the modified Japanese Orthopedic Association scale and the Oswestry Neck Disability Index and 2 generalized outcome measures-the Short-Form 36 physical component summary (SF-36 PCS) and Euro-QOL-5D. Assessments were performed preoperatively, and at 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year postoperatively. Statistical analyses were performed using SAS version 9.3 (SAS Institute).Most patients experienced improvement in all outcome measures regardless of approach. Both preoperative and postoperative C2-C7 sagittal vertical axis measurements were independent predictors of clinically significant improvement in SF-36 PCS scores (P = 0.03 and P = 0.02). The majority of patients with C2-C7 sagittal vertical axis values greater than 40 mm did not improve from an overall health-related quality of life perspective (SF-36 PCS) despite improvement in myelopathy. The postoperative sagittal balance value was inversely correlated with a clinically significant improvement of SF-36 PCS scores in patients undergoing dorsal surgery but not ventral surgery (P = 0.03 vs. P = 0.93).Preoperative and postoperative sagittal balance measurements independently predict clinical outcomes after surgery for CSM.2.
| S-EPMC4254605 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Background:Cervical sagittal alignment plays an important role in the pathogenesis of cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM), but there are limited studies on the cervical sagittal parameters in CSM patients and their correlations with myelopathy. The aim of this study is to investigate the correlations among the preoperative cervical sagittal alignment parameters and their correlations with the development of myelopathy in patients with CSM. Methods:We retrospectively collected 212 patients with CSM who underwent surgical interventions. Gender, age, modified Japanese Orthopedic Association score (mJOA), cervical lordosis (CL), C2-C7 sagittal vertical axis (C2-C7 SVA), T1 slope (T1S), neck tilt (NT) and thoracic inlet angle (TIA) were collected before operation. Interobserver and intraobserver reliability were calculated for all measurements (intraclass correlation coefficient, ICC). Data were analyzed with Pearson and Spearman correlation tests and multiple linear regression analysis. Results:A total of 212 patients with CSM were included in this study (male: 136, female: 76) with an average age of 54.5 ± 10.1 years old. Intraobserver and interobserver reliability for all included radiographic parameters presented good to excellent agreement (ICC > 0.7). No significant differences in demographic and radiological parameters have been observed between males and females (P > 0.05). We found statistically significant correlations among the following parameters: age with CL (r = 0.135, P = 0.049), age with T1S (r = 0.222, P = 0.001), CL with T1S (r = 0.291, P < 0.001), CL with C2-C7 SVA (r = - 0.395, P < 0.001), mJOA with age (r = - 0.274, P < 0.001), mJOA with C2-C7 SVA (r = - 0.219, P < 0.001) and mJOA with T1S(r = - 0.171, p = 0.013). Linear regression analysis showed that C2-C7 SVA was the predictor of CL (adjusted R2 = 0.152, P < 0.001) and multiple linear regression showed that age combined with C2-C7 SVA was a sensitive predictor of mJOA (adjusted R2 = 0.106, P < 0.001). Discussion:There were significant correlations among certain preoperative cervical sagittal parameters in CSM patients. CL was the only predictor of C2-C7 SVA. Age combined with C2-C7 SVA could predict the severity of myelopathy.
| S-EPMC5682098 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) is the most common cause of spinal cord dysfunction in the world. There are significant practice variation and uncertainty as to the optimal surgical approach for treating CSM.To determine whether ventral surgery is associated with superior Short Form-36 Physical Component Summary outcome at the 1-year follow-up compared with dorsal (laminectomy/fusion or laminoplasty) surgery for the treatment of CSM, to investigate whether postoperative sagittal balance is an independent predictor of overall outcome, and to compare health resource use for ventral and dorsal procedures.The study is a randomized, controlled trial with a nonrandomized arm for patients who are eligible but decline randomization. Two hundred fifty patients (159 randomized) with CSM from 11 sites will be recruited over 18 months. The primary outcome is the Short Form-36 Physical Component Summary score. Secondary outcomes include disease-specific outcomes, overall health-related quality of life (EuroQOL 5-dimension questionnaire), and health resource use.This will be the first randomized, controlled trial to compare directly the health-related quality-of-life outcomes for ventral vs dorsal surgery for treating CSM.A National Institutes of Health-funded (1R13AR065834-01) investigator meeting was held before the initiation of the trial to bring multiple stakeholders together to finalize the study protocol. Study investigators, coordinators, and major stakeholders were able to attend and discuss strengths of, limitations of, and concerns about the study. The final protocol was approved for funding by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (CE-1304-6173). The trial began enrollment on April 1, 2014.
| S-EPMC4633023 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Background A case report of acute unilateral hemidiaphragm paralysis and resultant dyspnea due to cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) is described. Case Report An 82-year-old man presented with a nonproductive cough, chest congestion, hoarseness, and shortness of breath on ambulation. The patient underwent cardiac catheterization, which revealed extensive stenosis of the major cardiac arteries. Subsequently, he underwent triple coronary artery bypass grafting. Despite the cardiac surgery, the patient's dyspnea did not improve. In addition, he developed new complaints of generalized weakness. Magnetic resonance and radiographic imaging of the cervical spine revealed extensive multilevel degenerative spondylosis with moderate to severe central canal narrowing from C2 to C7 and myelomalacia. The patient underwent C2-C6 laminectomy and instrumented fusion with local autograft. After surgery, the patient had gradual relief of dyspnea as well as improvement of strength. The dyspnea completely resolved. Conclusion The diagnosis of CSM as the cause of dyspnea is difficult to make. When unrelated cardiac or pulmonary disease coexists, the presenting symptoms of CSM may be subtle and must be actively sought. Signs and symptoms can vary widely and may include symptoms of intermittent neck pain or headache. Dyspnea may be related to unilateral diaphragm paralysis caused by CSM. This etiology of dyspnea should be considered in elderly patients who have other comorbidities that often obscure the diagnosis.
| S-EPMC5553503 | biostudies-other
Project description:STUDY DESIGN:Case-control. OBJECTIVE:The aim of this study was to understand the role of high-resolution magnetic resonance (MR) in identifying regional cord volume loss in cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA:Preliminary studies suggest that compression of the ventral region of the cord may contribute disproportionately to CSM symptomology; however, tract-specific data are lacking in the CSM population. The current study is the first to use 3T MR imaging (MRI) images of CSM patients to determine specific volume loss at the level of detail of individual descending white matter tracts. METHODS:Twelve patients with CSM and 14 age-matched were enrolled prospectively and underwent 3-Tesla MRI of the cervical spine. Using the high-resolution images of the spinal cord, straightening and alignment with a template was performed and specific spinal cord tract volumes were measured using Spinal Cord Tool-box version 3.0.7. Modified Japanese orthopedic association (mJOA) and Nurick disability scores were collected in a prospective manner and were analyzed in relation to descending spinal tract volumes. RESULTS:Having CSM was predicted by anterior/posterior diameter, eccentricity of the cord [odds ratio (OR) 0.000000621, P?=?0.004], ventral reticulospinal tract volume (OR 1.167, P?=?0.063), lateral corticospinal tract volume (OR 1.034, P?=?0.046), rubrospinal tract volume (OR 1.072, P?=?0.011), and ventrolateral reticulospinal tract volume (OR 1.474, P?=?0.005) on single variable logistic regression. Single variable linear regression showed decreases in anterior/posterior spinal cord diameter (P?=?0.022), ventral reticulospinal tract volumes (P?=?0.007), and ventrolateral reticulospinal tract volumes (P?=?0.017) to significantly predict worsening mJOA scores. Similarly, decreases in ventral reticulospinal tract volumes significantly predicted increasing Nurick scores (P?=?0.039). CONCLUSION:High-resolution 3T MRI can detect tract-specific volume loss in descending spinal cord tracts in CSM patients. Anterior/posterior spinal cord diameter, ventral reticulospinal tract, ventrolateral reticulospinal tract, lateral corticospinal tract, and rubrospinal tract volume loss are associated with CSM symptoms. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:2.
| S-EPMC6167159 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveCervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) is caused by cervical spine degeneration and surgery may be beneficial, but selection for surgery might be challenging. We performed a multimodal analysis to assess predicting factors that may be useful to help surgeons in this choice.Patients and methodsWe retrospectively evaluated clinical, motor evoked potentials (MEP), and MRI data of patients who undergone surgery for CSM. Seventy-six consecutive patients (46 males) were enrolled. The median age was 65.5 [IQR: 57-71] years, and the duration of symptoms was 11 [8-13] months. A multivariate analysis in order to assess predictors of outcome and ROC curve analysis were performed.ResultsThirty patients (M:18, 39.5%) gained 6 or more points on mJOA and they were collected in good recovery group, whereas 46 patients (60.5%, M:28) showed a fair recovery. We developed a comprehensive score system (CSS) taking into account clinical, neurophysiological, and neuroradiological data. ROC curve analysis was performed to determine the discriminative power of four models derived from the multivariate logistic regression analysis for predictors of good outcome considering only clinical variables, MRI variables, and MEP variables or considering the comprehensive model, demonstrating a good accuracy of CSS model to predict outcome.ConclusionThis study demonstrates that CSS model taking into consideration functional assessment by mJOA score, neurologic evaluation, cervical MRI, and MEP may be a feasible method to predict outcome in patients candidate to surgery, supporting surgeon's decisions both for those patients candidate to surgery and for patients in whom a "wait and see" approach could be proposed.
| S-EPMC7956005 | biostudies-literature