Clinical and Radiographic Outcomes of Cervical Open-Door Laminoplasty Withmodified Centerpiece Mini-Plate Fixation and Extensor Attachment Point Reconstruction in Treating Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy

Abstract

ObjectiveThis retrospective study aimed to investigate the clinical and radiographic outcomes of open-door laminoplasty with modified centerpiece mini-plate fixation and extensor attachment point reconstruction for treating cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM).MethodSixty-nine patients with CSM, who underwent C3-7 open-door laminoplasty in our hospital from January 2016 to May 2017, were divided into two groups: group A underwent surgery with a modified centerpiece titanium plate and group B underwent surgery with a conventional centerpiece titanium plate. Changes in cervical spinal angle (CSA), cervical range of motion (ROM), atrophy of posterior cervical muscles, and neurological function (Japanese Orthopaedic Association [JOA] score) and the occurrence of axial symptoms (AS) were compared between the groups.ResultThere were no significant differences in operative time, intra-operative blood loss, lamina open angle, and spinal cord drift distance between the groups. After the surgery, JOA score significantly increased (P < 0.05), neurological recovery rates were similar (62.7% vs. 63.4%), cervical ROM did not significantly change when compared with the preoperative level (P > 0.05) in both groups; CSA and cross-sectional area of the posterior cervical muscles decreased significantly in group B (P < 0.05) but not in group A (P > 0.05), and postoperative AS were significantly more severe in group B than in group A (P < 0.05).ConclusionOpen-door laminoplasty is an effective surgical procedure for CSM. The application of modified centerpiece mini-plate fixation effectively reconstructs the posterior extensor attachment points, which reduces posterior cervical muscle atrophy, maintains cervical curvature, and reduces the occurrence of axial symptoms.