Study Design Prospective observational cohort study Objective To determine if postoperative cervical sagittal balance is an independent predictor of HR-QOL outcome following surgery for CSM. Summary of Background Data Both ventral and dorsal fusion procedures for cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) are effective at reducing the symptoms of myelopathy. The importance of cervical sagittal balance in predicting overall HR-QOL outcome following ventral versus dorsal surgery for CSM has not been previously explored. Methods 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 (SVA) was measured on standing lateral cervical spine radiographs. Outcome was assessed with two disease-specific measures – the mJOA scale and the Oswestry NDI- and two generalized outcome measures – the SF-36 PCS and EQ-5D. Assessments were performed preoperatively, and at 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year postoperatively. Statistical analyses were performed using SAS v.9.3 (Cary, NC). Results Most patients experienced improvement in all outcome measures regardless of approach. Both preoperative and postoperative C2-C7 SVA 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 SVA values greater than 40mm did not improve from an overall HR-QOL 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). Conclusions Preoperative and postoperative sagittal balance measurements independently predict clinical outcomes following surgery for CSM.
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