Posterior Surgical Treatment of Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy: Review Article

Background

Cervical 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/Purposes

Our 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.

Methods

We 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.

Results

The 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.

Conclusion

Multilevel CSM may be safely and effectively treated using a posterior approach, either by laminoplasty or with a laminectomy and fusion technique.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11420-014-9425-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

颈前路减压融合钛板内固定治疗脊髓型颈椎病

目的讨论颈前路减压融合结合前路钛板内固定在脊髓型颈椎病治疗中的应用。方法回顾性分析62例脊髓型颈椎病选择颈前路减压（包括椎间盘切除和／或椎体次全切）融合及钛板内固定患者术后的治疗效果。所有患者术后随访2～4年,平均2．5年。结果术前及术后随访采用改良的JOA评分系统评价神经功能状况,术后神经功能恢复优良率为85．5％,椎间植骨融合率为100％。结论只要把握了手术时机和掌握了手术技巧,颈前路减压融合及钛板内固定是治疗脊髓型颈椎病安全而有效的方法。     

Revision Surgery for Failed Cervical Spine Reconstruction: Review Article

Background

As the number of cervical spine procedures performed continues to increase, the need for revision surgery is also likely to increase. Surgeons need to understand the etiology of post-surgical changes, as well as have a treatment algorithm when evaluating these complex patients.

Questions/Purposes

This study aims to review the rates and etiology of revision cervical spine surgery as well as describe our treatment algorithm.

Methods

We used a narrative and literature review. We performed a MEDLINE (PubMed) search for “cervical” and “spine” and “revision” which returned 353 articles from 1993 through January 22, 2014. Abstracts were analyzed for relevance and 32 articles were reviewed.

Results

The rates of revision surgery on the cervical spine vary by the type and extent of procedure performed. Patient evaluation should include a detailed history and review of the indication for the index procedure, as well as lab work to rule out infection. Imaging studies including flexion/extension radiographs and computed tomography are obtained to evaluate potential pseudarthrosis. Magnetic resonance imaging is helpful to evaluate the disc, neural elements, soft tissue, and to differentiate scar from infection. Sagittal alignment should be corrected if necessary.

Conclusions

Recurrent or new symptoms after cervical spine reconstruction can be effectively treated with revision surgery after identifying the etiology, and completing the appropriate workup.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11420-014-9394-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

颈椎后方韧带复合体也许是多节段颈椎病后路手术的新思路

颈椎病是影响国人乃至全人类最常见的脊柱退行性疾患之一,颈椎病会给病人带来极大的不适和生活困扰。后路减压手术是治疗颈椎病,尤其是多节段颈椎病变最常用的手术方式。然而,后路手术需将颈椎棘突和附着在其上的棘上、棘间韧带部分或完全切除,从而破坏了颈椎后方韧带复合体的功能,术后病人易出现颈椎反曲、鹅颈畸形、颈椎失稳,甚至出现迟发性脊髓神经受压。所以,近年来越来越多的研究开始集中于避免破坏颈椎后方韧带复合体,国内外学者从集中术式改良和手术入路改良两方面进行了一些研究,均直接或间接的证明了保留颈椎后方韧带复合体的手术方式具有更好的治疗效果。故本文就近年来保留颈椎后方韧带复合体的术式研究作一综述,希望能为未来多节段退变性颈椎病后路的治疗提供一个新的思路。     

Anterior surgical treatment for cervical spondylotic myelopathy

Cervical spondylotic myelopathy is a disease of the cervical spine causing spinal cord compression secondary to spondylosis or ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament. Anterior surgical options include anterior cervical discectomy and fusion, cervical corpectomy, and cervical disc arthroplasty. The surgeon must choose the right surgical option to decompress the cord, restore cervical lordosis, and adequately stabilize the spine. Although these surgical procedures are considered to be highly successful, each one is associated with complications. One must exercise great care when performing anterior cervical surgery and discuss with each patient the risks and benefits of the procedures.     

一期前后路联合手术治疗脊髓型颈椎病的临床研究

目的 探讨前后方均有压迫的脊髓型颈椎病应用一期后路单开门及前路减压、Cage植人手术的治疗效果。方法对45例前后方均有压迫的脊髓型颈椎病患者行一期后路单开门椎板成形术和前路椎间盘切除减压、Cage植入术。结果术后随访6～29个月,平均18．7个月．显示椎间隙高度与颈椎生理曲度恢复,骨性融合率100％,融合时间平均4．5个月。JOA评分平均改善率83．5％,优良率82．2％。随访中未发现有Cage移位、下沉、假关节形成、椎间隙高度丢失、椎管再狭窄等问题。结论采用一期前后路手术治疗脊髓前后同时受压的脊髓型颈椎病减压彻底、神经功能恢复满意．前路减压后以Cage植入椎间隙可获得良好的术后即刻稳定性、提高了植骨融合率并可长期保持椎间隙的高度和颈椎的生理曲度。     

Perioperative and Long-term Outcomes of Carotid Endarterectomy for Japanese Asymptomatic Cervical Carotid Artery Stenosis: A Single Institution Study

As the recently developed medical treatments for asymptomatic cervical carotid artery stenosis (ACCAS) have shown excellent stroke prevention, carotid endarterectomy (CEA) should be carried out for more selected patients and with lower complication rates and better long-term outcomes. We have performed CEA for Japanese ACCAS patients with a uniform surgical technique and strict perioperative management. In this study, we retrospectively investigated the perioperative complications and long-term outcomes of our CEA series. A total of 147 CEAs were carried out in 139 Japanese ACCAS patients. All patients were routinely checked for their cardiac function and high risk coronary lesions were preferentially treated before CEA. All CEAs were performed under general anesthesia using a shunt system. The postoperative cerebral blood flow was routinely measured under continued sedation to prevent postoperative hyperperfusion. The 30-day perioperative morbidity rate was 2.04%, including a perioperative stroke rate of 0.68%. There were no perioperative deaths. With regard to the long-term outcomes of the 134 followed-up patients, 9 patients were dead and 5 patients suffered from strokes, including 2 patients with ipsilateral hemispheric ischemia. The annual rates of death, all stroke and ipsilateral ischemic stroke were 1.15%, 0.64%, and 0.25%, respectively. These results showed that the perioperative morbidity and mortality rates of our CEAs were lower than those in the previous large trials. Furthermore, the long-term outcomes of this series were favorable to those reported in the latest medical treatment trials for ACCAS patients. CEA may be useful for preventing ischemic stroke in Japanese ACCAS patients.     

中医特色护理在重症脊髓型颈椎病康复中应用效果综合分析的研究

目的:探讨中医特色护理在重症脊髓型颈椎病康复中的应用效果。方法:选取2014年5月—2018年5月在我院行康复治疗的74例重症脊髓型颈椎病患者,随机分为对照组37例与观察组37例,对照组给予常规基础护理,观察组在对照组护理的基础上给予中医特色护理,主要包括颈部牵引与推拿、理疗,护理观察时间为14 d;比较两组的疗效、日本骨科协会(JOA)评分、并发症及炎症因子水平。结果:观察组的总有效率显著高于对照组(97.3%vs.81.1%)。护理后,观察组和对照组的JOA评分分别为(21.42±3.19)分和(18.20±4.09)分,均显著高于护理前的(8.99±2.19)分和(8.72±1.89)分,且观察组也显著高于对照组(P<0.05)。观察组护理期间的尿路感染、伤口积液、应激性溃疡、肺部感染、脑脊液漏等并发症总发生率为10.8%,显著低于对照组的40.5%(P<0.05)。两组护理后的血清的细胞介素-6(IL-6)和肿瘤坏死因子-α(TNF-α)水平均显著低于护理前,且观察组显著低于对照组(P<0.05)。结论:中医特色护理在重症脊髓型颈椎病中应用能减轻继发性损伤和相关并发症,促进颈椎功能的改善,提高综合疗效,其作用机制可能与抑制炎症因子的表达有关。     

Anterior Cervical Spine Surgery for Degenerative Disease: A Review

Anterior cervical spine surgery is an established surgical intervention for cervical degenerative disease and high success rate with excellent long-term outcomes have been reported. However, indications of surgical procedures for certain conditions are still controversial and severe complications to cause neurological dysfunction or deaths may occur. This review is focused mainly on five widely performed procedures by anterior approach for cervical degenerative disease; anterior cervical discectomy, anterior cervical discectomy and fusion, anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion, anterior cervical foraminotomy, and arthroplasty. Indications, procedures, outcomes, and complications of these surgeries are discussed.     

Surgical Treatment for Cervical Carotid Artery Stenosis in the Elderly: Importance of Perioperative Management of Ischemic Cardiac Complications

Ischemic cardiac complication is one of the major perioperative complications of surgical treatment for cervical carotid stenosis, carotid endarterectomy (CEA), and carotid artery stenting (CAS), and may greatly affect surgical outcome, especially in elderly patients aged ≥ 80 years. We retrospectively analyzed the records of 259 patients (34 patients aged ≥ 80 years) treated by CEA and 61 patients (12 patients aged ≥ 80 years) treated by CAS at Aizu Chuo Hospital from January 2000 to September 2010. Preoperative ischemic heart disease screening was performed in all patients. If high risk of coronary atherosclerotic stenosis was detected, treatment for coronary lesion was performed prior to CEA or CAS. There was no preoperative ischemic cardiac complication in both the CEA and CAS groups. Perioperative complications (morbidity + mortality) occurred in 2.9% of patients aged ≥ 80 years and 1.7% of patients aged ≤ 79 years in the CEA group, and 8.3% and 8.1% of patients, respectively, in the CAS group. There was no statistically significant difference by age in either group. CEA could be safely performed with tolerable complication rates even in elderly patients. However, the complication rate in the CAS group was relatively high. New ischemic lesion on diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging, both symptomatic and asymptomatic, tended to occur at a higher rate in the CAS group, especially in the elderly patients. Thorough perioperative management may minimize ischemic cardiac complications even in elderly patients. Efforts must be continued to minimize surgical complications, especially for CAS. Noninvasive medical treatment should also be considered for elderly patients.     

Clinical Evaluation of Surgery for Single‐Segment Lumbar Spinal Stenosis: A Systematic Review and Bayesian Network Meta‐Analysis

To compare the efficacy and safety of different surgical procedures for patients with single‐segment lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS), Bayesian network meta‐analysis (NMA) was conducted in this study. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) which reported 2 years'' results after surgery were searched from PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials up to February 2021. Eligible RCTs that contained at least two of the following surgical procedures, bilateral decompression via the unilateral approach (BDUL), decompression with conventional laminectomy (CL), decompression with fusion (DF), endoscopic decompression (ED), interspinous process devices only (IPDs), decompression with interlaminar stabilization (DILS), decompression with lumbar spinal process‐splitting laminectomy (LSPSL), and minimally invasive tubular decompression (MTD), would be included after screening based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The primary outcome was Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). Twenty eligible RCTs were included, with a total of 2201 patients enrolled. The NMA showed that the following surgical procedures ranked first (surface under the cumulative ranking) when compared with CL and DF: DILS for ODI (SUCRA 87.8%); LSPSL for back pain (95%); and MTD for leg pain (95.6%). MTD ranked among the top three surgical procedures for most outcomes. The quality of the synthesized evidence was low according to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation criteria. DILS, LSPSL, MTD, IPDs, and ED are the most effective procedures for patients with single‐segment LSS. Because of combining efficacy and safety, MTD may be the most promising routine surgical option for treating single‐segment LSS.     

Concomitant Mitral Regurgitation in Patients Undergoing Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement for Aortic Stenosis: A Systematic Review

Background: Concomitant mitral regurgitation (MR) is frequently seen in patients undergoing surgical aortic valve replacement (AVR) for severe aortic stenosis (AS). When the severity of MR is moderate or less, the decision to undertake simultaneous mitral valve intervention can be challenging.Methods: A systematic search of Medline, PubMed (NCBI), Embase and Cochrane Library was conducted to qualitatively assess the current evidence for concomitant mitral valve intervention for MR in patients with AS undergoing AVR. The primary outcome for this systematic review was the postoperative change in the severity of MR and other outcomes of interest included factors that predict improvement or persistence of MR and long-term impacts of residual MR.Results: A total of 17 studies were included. The percentage of patients demonstrating improvement in MR severity following AVR ranged from 17.2% to 72%; the studies that exclusively included patients with moderate functional MR and reported longer term echocardiographic follow-up of greater than 12 months demonstrated an improvement in MR severity of 45% to 72%.Conclusion: This systematic review demonstrates that a proportion of patients can exhibit an improvement in MR following isolated surgical AVR, but whether this confers any long-term morbidity and mortality benefit remains unclear.     

Single-stage Anterior and Posterior Fusion Surgery for Correction of Cervical Kyphotic Deformity Using Intervertebral Cages and Cervical Lateral Mass Screws: Postoperative Changes in Total Spine Sagittal Alignment in Three Cases with a Minimum Follow-up of Five Years

The surgical treatment of cervical kyphotic deformity remains challenging. As a surgical method that is safer and avoids major complications, the authors present a procedure of single-stage anterior and posterior fusion to correct cervical kyphosis using anterior interbody fusion cages without plating, as illustrated by three consecutive cases. Case 1 was a 78-year-old woman who presented with a dropped head caused by degeneration of her cervical spine. Case 2 was a 54-year-old woman with athetoid cerebral palsy. She presented with cervical myelopathy and cervical kyphosis. Case 3 was a 71-year-old woman with cervical kyphotic deformity following a laminectomy. All three patients underwent anterior release and interbody fusion with cages and posterior fusion with cervical lateral mass screw (LMS) fixation. Postoperative radiographs showed that correction of kyphosis was 39° in case 1, 43° in case 2, and 39° in case 3. In all three cases, improvement of symptoms was established without major perioperative complications, solid fusion was achieved, and no loss of correction was observed at a minimum follow-up of 61 months. We also report that preoperative total spine sagittal malalignment was improved after corrective surgery for cervical kyphosis and was maintained at the latest follow-up in all three cases. The combination of anterior fusion cages and LMS is considered a safe and effective procedure in cases of severe cervical kyphotic deformity. Preoperative total spine sagittal malalignment improved, accompanied by correction of cervical kyphosis, and was maintained at last follow-up in all three cases.