Spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma in children: a case report and literature review.

Background: Spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma (SSEH) is a hematoma within the spinal epidural space without the underlying causes of trauma or iatrogenic and is considered a very rare neurosurgical emergency disease in children that can cause spinal cord compression and neurological dysfunction. This article provides useful information and guidance to the clinician about SSEH in children regarding its specific characteristics, clinical presentation, and management strategy to achieve a better outcome. Case Description: A 14-year-old boy presented with an acute onset of neck pain radiating to the right shoulder and progressive right hemiparesis. The cervical spine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a right posterolateral hyperacute spinal epidural hematoma at C4-C7. The patient underwent an emergent open-door laminoplasty (C5-C6) with partial laminectomy (C4 and C7) and complete evacuation of the hematoma. The patient had a complete recovery after surgery with no neurological deficits. A literature search in the PubMed electronic database was performed to identify published English articles between January 2000 to December 2023 focusing on SSEH in children. We have found 81 articles with a total of 95 cases of SSEH in children, providing comparison data on sex, age, clinical presentation, etiology, location of the hematoma, treatment modalities, and outcomes. Conclusions: SSEH in children is a very rare neurosurgical emergency disease. Prompt and proper examination is essential to establish the diagnosis and early surgical decompression. Adequate surgical decompression may reduce intradural pressure and increase the blood perfusion to the spinal cord, thus, this will eventually reduce ischemia and prevent secondary spinal injury. As a result, complete recovery can be expected.

Comment on, "Radiographic characterization of OPLL progression in patients receiving laminoplasty with a minimum of two-years follow-up".

The article by Liu et al. (2024) investigates the progression of ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) in 29 patients post-cervical laminoplasty. The study meticulously tracks transverse and longitudinal OPLL progression, providing crucial insights into surgical planning and patient outcomes. While the research design is commendable, reliance on X-ray imaging limits precision compared to CT or MRI scans. The sample size, though adequate for initial findings, may not fully capture OPLL variability, and the follow-up period could be extended to better assess long-term outcomes. Future studies should incorporate advanced imaging techniques, larger cohorts, and patient-reported outcomes to enhance the understanding of OPLL progression, thereby refining surgical strategies and improving personalized care for OPLL patients.

Using Finite Element Models to Assess Spinal Cord Biomechanics after Cervical Laminoplasty for Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy.

Cervical laminoplasty is an established motion-preserving procedure for degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM). However, patients with pre-existing cervical kyphosis often experience inferior outcomes compared to those with straight or lordotic spines. Limited dorsal spinal cord shift in kyphotic spines post-decompression and increased spinal cord tension may contribute to poor neurological recovery and spinal cord injury. This study aims to quantify the biomechanical impact of cervical sagittal alignment on spinal cord stress and strain post-laminoplasty using a validated 3D finite element model of the C2-T1 spine. Three models were created based on the C2-C7 Cobb angle: lordosis (20 degrees), straight (0 degrees), and kyphosis (-9 degrees). Open-door laminoplasty was simulated at C4, C5, and C6 levels, followed by physiological neck flexion and extension. The results showed that spinal cord stress and strain were highest in kyphotic curvature compared to straight and lordotic curvatures across all cervical segments, despite similar segmental ROM. In flexion, kyphotic spines exhibited 103.3% higher stress and 128.9% higher strain than lordotic spines and 16.7% higher stress and 26.8% higher strain than straight spines. In extension, kyphotic spines showed 135.4% higher stress and 241.7% higher strain than lordotic spines and 21.5% higher stress and 43.2% higher strain than straight spines. The study shows that cervical kyphosis leads to increased spinal cord stress and strain post-laminoplasty, underscoring the need to address sagittal alignment in addition to decompression for optimal patient outcomes.

Greater cervical kyphosis during flexion increases the risk of kyphotic deformity after laminoplasty in patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy.

Kyphotic deformity following the loss of cervical lordosis can lead to unfavourable neurological recovery after cervical laminoplasty (CLP); therefore, it is essential to identify its risk factors. Recent studies have demonstrated that the dynamic parameters of the cervical spine, based on baseline flexion/extension radiographs, are highly useful to estimate the loss of cervical lordosis after CLP. However, it remains unclear whether such dynamic parameters can predict kyphotic deformity development after CLP. Hence, the present study aimed to investigate whether the dynamic parameters could predict kyphotic deformity in patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) after CLP. This retrospective study included 165 patients, consisting of 10 and 155 patients with and without cervical kyphosis of C2-C7 angle ≤ -10° at the final follow-up period, respectively. Among the static and dynamic parameters of the cervical spine, greater cervical kyphosis during flexion (fC2-C7 angle) demonstrated the best discrimination between these two cohorts, with an optimal cutoff value of -27.5°. Meanwhile, greater gap range of motion (gROM = flexion ROM - extension ROM ) had the highest ability to predict a loss of ≥ 10° in C2-C7 angle after CLP, with an optimal cutoff value of 28.5°. This study suggests that in patients with CSM, fC2-C7 angle ≤ -25° on baseline radiographs is a potential risk for kyphotic deformity after CLP. In clinical practice, the patients with this criterion (fC2-C7 angle ≤ -25°) along with gROM ≥ 30° are at high risk of developing significant kyphotic deformity after CLP.

Change of cervical flexion range of motion influences postoperative sagittal alignment of the cervical spine after laminoplasty.

OBJECTIVE: The relationships between preoperative cervical spine range of motion (ROM) and postoperative cervical sagittal alignment (CSA), and clinical outcomes after laminoplasty (LMP) have been widely studied. However, the impact of ROM changes on postoperative CSA and clinical outcomes after LMP remains unclear. Herein, patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) were retrospectively analyzed to explore the association between postoperative cervical ROM changes and CSA and surgical outcomes. METHODS: Patients who underwent cervical LMP at our hospital between January 2019 to June 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. CSA parameters were measured before the surgery and at the final follow-up. Loss of cervical lordosis (LCL) was defined as preoperative cervical lordosis (CL) - postoperative CL. An increase in the cervical sagittal vertical axis (I-cSVA) was defined as postoperative cervical sagittal vertical axis (cSVA) - preoperative cSVA. We defined the changes in cervical flexion range of motion (△Flex ROM, preoperative Flex ROM minus postoperative Flex ROM) > 10° as L- Flex ROM group, and △Flex ROM ≤ 10° as S- Flex ROM group. Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score and visual analog score (VAS) were used to assess the surgical outcomes. RESULTS: The study comprised 74 patients and the average follow-up period was 31.83 months. CL, total ROM, and Flex ROM decreased and cSVA increased after cervical LMP. LCL and I-cSVA were positively correlated with △Flex. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that a decrease in the Flex ROM was a risk factor for LCL and I-cSVA after LMP. LCL and I-cSVA were higher in the L-Flex ROM group than in the S-Flex ROM group. Postoperative JOA and the JOA recovery rate were worse in the L-Flex ROM group than in the S-Flex ROM group. CONCLUSIONS: Cervical total and Flex ROM decreased after cervical LMP. The reduction of Flex ROM was associated with LCL and I-cSVA after surgery. The preservation of cervical Flex ROM helps maintain CSA after LMP. Therefore, more attention should be paid to maintaining cervical ROM to obtain good CSA and surgical effects after cervical LMP.

Usefulness of the preoperative thoracic inlet angle in comparison to the T1 slope for predicting cervical kyphosis after laminoplasty.

PURPOSE: Thoracic inlet angle (TIA) is a sagittal radiographic parameter with a constant value regardless of posture and is significantly correlated with the sagittal balance of the cervical spine. However, the practical use of TIA has not been studied. This study aimed to investigate the usefulness of the preoperative TIA for predicting the development of kyphotic deformity after cervical laminoplasty in comparison to the preoperative T1 slope (T1S). METHODS: A total of 98 patients who underwent cervical laminoplasty without preoperative kyphotic alignment were included (mean age, 73.7 years; 41.8% female). Radiography was evaluated before surgery and at the 2-year follow-up examination. The cervical sagittal parameters were measured on standing radiographs, and the TIA was measured on T2-weighted MRI in a supine position. Cervical alignment with a C2-C7 angle of ≥ 0° was defined as lordosis, and that with an angle of < 0° was defined as kyphosis. RESULTS: Postoperative kyphosis occurred in 11 patients (11.2%). Preoperatively, the kyphosis group showed significantly lower values in the T1S (23.5° vs. 30.3°, p = 0.034) and TIA (76.1° vs. 81.8°, p = 0.042). We performed ROC curve analysis to clarify the impact of the preoperative TIA and T1S on kyphotic deformity after laminoplasty. The optimal cutoff angles for TIA and T1S were 68° and 19°, respectively, with similar diagnostic accuracy. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated the clinical utility of the preoperative TIA for predicting the risk of postoperative kyphotic deformity after cervical laminoplasty. These findings suggest the importance of the preoperative assessment of thoracic inlet alignment in cervical spine surgery.

Clinical outcome of surgical management of mild cervical compressive myelopathy based on minimum clinically important difference.

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Cervical compressive myelopathy (CCM), caused by cervical spondylosis (cervical spondylotic myelopathy [CSM]) or ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL), is a common neurological disorder in the elderly. For moderate/severe CCM, surgical management has been the first-line therapeutic option. Recently, surgical management is also recommended for mild CCM, and a few studies have reported the surgical outcome for this clinical population. Nonetheless, the present knowledge is insufficient to determine the specific surgical outcome of mild CCM. PURPOSE: To examine the surgical outcomes of mild CCM while considering the minimum clinically important difference (MCID). STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective study. PATIENT SAMPLE: Patients who underwent subaxial cervical surgery for CCM caused by CSM and OPLL between 2013 and 2022 were enrolled. OUTCOME MEASURES: The Japanese Orthopedic Association score (JOA score) was employed as the clinical outcomes. Based on previous reports, the JOA score threshold to determine mild myelopathic symptoms was set at ≥14.5 points, and the MCID of the JOA score for mild CCM was set at 1 point. METHODS: The patients with a JOA score of ≥14.5 points at baseline were stratified into the mild CCM and were examined while considering the MCID. The mild CCM cohort was dichotomized into the improvement group, including the patients with an achieved MCID (JOA score ≥1 point) or with a JOA score of 17 points (full mark) at 1 year postoperatively, and the nonimprovement group, including the others. Demographics, symptomatology, radiographic findings, and surgical procedure were compared between the two groups and studied using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. RESULTS: Of 335 patients with CCM, 43 were stratified into the mild CCM cohort (mean age, 58.5 years; 62.8% male). Among them, 25 (58.1 %) patients were assigned to the improvement group and 18 (41.9 %) were assigned to the nonimprovement group. The improvement group was significantly younger than the nonimprovement group; however, other variables did not significantly differ. ROC curve analysis showed that the optimal cutoff point of the patient's age to discriminate between the improvement and nonimprovement groups was 58 years with an area under the curve of 0.702 (p=.015). CONCLUSIONS: In the present study, the majority of patients with mild CCM experienced improvement reaching the MCID of JOA score at 1 year postoperatively. The present study suggests that for younger patients with mild CCM, especially those aged below 58 years, subjective neurological recovery is more likely to be obtained. Meanwhile, the surgery takes on a more prophylactic significance to halt disease progression for older patients. The results of this study can help in the decision-making process for this clinical population.

Incidence and risk factors of surgical site infection following cervical laminoplasty: A retrospective clinical study.

There are many debates regarding the risk factors of surgical site infection (SSI) following posterior cervical surgery in previous studies. And, till now there is no such a study to examine cervical laminoplasty surgery. From January 2011 through October 2021, a total of 405 patients who were treated with unilateral open-door laminoplasty surgeries were enrolled in this study. We divided the patients into the SSI group and the non-SSI group and compared their patient-specific and procedure-specific factors. Univariate and multiple logistic regression analysis were performed to determine the risk factors. Of the 405 patients, 20 patients had SSI. The rate of SSI found to be 4.93%. There were significant differences between groups in the thicker subcutaneous fat thickness (FT) (p < 0.001), the higher ratio of subcutaneous FT to muscle thickness (MT) (p < 0.001), the higher preoperative Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) Scores (p < 0.003), the decreased preoperative serum albumin (p < 0.001), the more postoperative drainage (p < 0.05) and the longer time of draining (p < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis of these differences showed that the higher ratio of subcutaneous FT/MT, the higher preoperative JOA scores, the decreased preoperative serum albumin and the longer time of draining were significantly related to SSI (p < 0.05). The higher ratio of subcutaneous FT/MT, the higher preoperative JOA scores, the decreased preoperative serum albumin and the longer time of draining are identified as the independent risk factors of SSI in cervical laminoplasty. Identification of these risk factors could be useful in reducing the SSI incidence and patients counselling.

Results of laminoplasty versus laminectomy and posterior fusion for multilevel cervical spondylotic myelopathy.

Background: The authors compared the clinical, MR, and clinical outcomes for patients with multilevel cervical spondylotic myelopathy (MCSM) who underwent laminoplasty (LP) versus laminectomy with fusion (LPSF). Materials and methods: The authors evaluated 65 patients with MCSM (2019-2021) with 31 undergoing LP versus 34 having LPSF. Variables studied included JOA scores, T2W MR hyperintense cord signals, preoperative lordosis, number of stenotic levels, and neurological outcomes. Results: Both groups showed similar preoperative JOA scores, number of stenotic levels, T2-weighted MR hyperintense cord signals, and nearly identifcal 12-month postoperative outcomes (good for 83.9 in the LP group vs. 85.3% in the LPSF group). Differences included: higher preoperative visual analog scale in the LPSF versus LP group, plus the LPSF patients significantly less preoperative cervical lordosis versus LP patients. Conclusion: LP and LPSF used to treat MCSM resulted in similar clinical improvement and 1-year postoperative outcomes. However, our recommendation would be for patients with neck pain, instability, and/or cervical kyphosis to undergo LPSF.

Optimal Treatment of C3 Lamina in Cervical Laminoplasty.

STUDY DESIGN: Results of C4-C6 laminoplasty with C3 laminectomy and C3-C6 laminoplasty were compared retrospectively. OBJECTIVES: To clarify the difference between C3 laminectomy and C3 laminoplasty in cervical laminoplasty. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Intraoperative damage to the semispinalis cervicis has been shown to lead to postoperative axial symptoms and reduced range of motion (ROM). To prevent this event, C3 laminectomy in cervical laminoplasty is considered superior to C3 laminoplasty. METHODS: A total of 36 patients were included in this study: 20 patients (GroupA) of C3 laminectomy, C4-C6 laminoplasty compared with 16 patients (GroupB) of C3-C6 laminoplasty. We collected patient's background data, operative time, Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score, VAS score, and radiologic findings such as C2-C7 Cobb angle, ROM, C2 inter-spinous angle, and use of postoperative PRN medication were compared. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference in the C2-C7 Cobb angles between the 2 groups before and after surgery (P = 0.315). In ROM, there was a 17.7% decrease from 31.5 preoperatively to 25.9 postoperatively in Group A, and a 6.1% decrease from 29.3 preoperatively to 27.5 postoperatively in Group B. There was no statistically significant difference in ROM (P = 0.683). Postoperative neck pain (VAS) was significantly lower in Group A than in Group B both at 1 week (P = 0.015) and 1 month (P = 0.035) after surgery. The C2 inter-spinous angle was statistically significantly smaller in Group A than in Group B (P = 0.004). Clinical outcomes and surgical outcomes did not differ significantly between groups. CONCLUSIONS: If the C2 interspinous angle is wide and intraoperative semispinalis capitis damage can be minimized, it is worth trying C3 laminoplasty, but if the C2 inter-spinous angle is narrow, C3 laminectomy is recommended from the beginning.

Low back pain improvement after cervical laminoplasty in patients without tandem lumbar stenosis.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to demonstrate the impact of lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) on LBP after cervical laminoplasty for cervical spinal stenosis by analyzing the clinical characteristics and surgical outcomes. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study analyzed 56 consecutive patients with cervical spinal stenosis who underwent cervical laminoplasty. Data on age, sex, Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scores, JOA Back Pain Evaluation Questionnaire (BPEQ), and visual analog scale (VAS) were collected. The patients with VAS for LBP ≥ 30 or more were included and divided into two groups: without LSS [LSS (-)]or with LSS [LSS (+)]. Preoperative clinical characteristics and postoperative changes were compared between the groups. RESULTS: Preoperative VAS for LBP were 50.7 ± 16.2 mm and 59.8 ± 19.5 mm in the LSS (+) and LSS (-), respectively (p = 0.09). Patients in the LSS (-) were younger (57.6 ± 11.2 vs. 70.7 ± 8.6, p < 0.001) and showed significantly milder preoperative lumbar symptoms in terms of JOA and BPEQ. Patients in the LSS (-) group showed more postoperative changes in low back pain (18.3 ± 26.4 vs. - 8.3 ± 37.6, p = 0.005) and lumbar function (10.8 ± 25.7 vs. - 2.0 ± 22.5, p = 0.04) at BPEQ, and higher recovery in terms of VAS of LBP (23.0 ± 23.8 mm vs. 5.3 ± 25.9 mm, p = 0.008) and buttocks and low limbs (12.5 ± 35.0 mm vs. - 4.3 ± 24.4 mm, p = 0.029). Nine patients in the LSS (+) group underwent lumbar surgery at 12.8 ± 8.5 months after cervical laminoplasty. CONCLUSION: LBP improved after cervical laminoplasty in patients without lumbar stenosis.

Development of personalized machine learning-based prediction models for short-term postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing cervical laminoplasty.

PURPOSE: By predicting short-term postoperative outcomes before surgery, patients undergoing cervical laminoplasty (CLP) surgery could benefit from more accurate patient care strategies that could reduce the likelihood of adverse outcomes. With this study, we developed a series of machine learning (ML) models for predicting short-term postoperative outcomes and integrated them into an open-source online application. METHODS: National surgical quality improvement program database was utilized to identify individuals who have undergone CLP surgery. The investigated outcomes were prolonged length of stay (LOS), non-home discharges, 30-day readmissions, unplanned reoperations, and major complications. ML models were developed and implemented on a website to predict these three outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 1740 patients that underwent CLP were included in the analysis. Performance evaluation indicated that the top-performing models for each outcome were the models built with TabPFN and LightGBM algorithms. The TabPFN models yielded AUROCs of 0.830, 0.847, and 0.858 in predicting non-home discharges, unplanned reoperations, and major complications, respectively. The LightGBM models yielded AUROCs of 0.812 and 0.817 in predicting prolonged LOS, and 30-day readmissions, respectively. CONCLUSION: The potential of ML approaches to predict postoperative outcomes following spine surgery is significant. As the volume of data in spine surgery continues to increase, the development of predictive models as clinically relevant decision-making tools could significantly improve risk assessment and prognosis. Here, we present an accessible predictive model for predicting short-term postoperative outcomes following CLP intended to achieve the stated objectives.

Trends in cervical laminoplasty and 30-day postoperative complications: 10-year results from a retrospective, multi-institutional study of 1095 patients.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the recent 10-year trends in cervical laminoplasty and 30-day postoperative complications. METHODS: This retrospective multi-institutional cohort study enrolled patients who underwent laminoplasty for cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) or ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament. The primary outcome was the occurrence of all-cause 30-day complications. Trends were investigated and compared in the early (2008-2012) and late (2013-2017) periods. RESULTS: Among 1095 patients (mean age, 66 years; 762 [70%] male), 542 and 553 patients were treated in the early and late periods, respectively. In the late period, patients were older at surgery (65 years vs. 68 years), there were more males (66% vs. 73%), and open-door laminoplasty (50% vs. 69%) was the preferred procedure, while %CSM (77% vs. 78%) and the perioperative JOA scores were similar to the early period. During the study period, the rate of preservation of the posterior muscle-ligament complex attached to the C2/C7-spinous process (C2, 89% vs. 93%; C7, 62% vs. 85%) increased and the number of laminoplasty levels (3.7 vs. 3.1) decreased. While the 30-day complication rate remained stable (3.9% vs. 3.4%), C5 palsy tended to decrease (2.4% vs. 0.9%, P = 0.059); superficial SSI increased significantly (0% vs. 1.3%, P = 0.015), while the decreased incidence of deep SSI did not reach statistical significance (0.6% vs. 0.2%). CONCLUSIONS: From 2008 to 2017, there were trends toward increasing age at surgery and surgeons' preference for refined open-door laminoplasty. The 30-day complication rate remained stable, but the C5 palsy rate halved.

White Cord Syndrome After Cervical Laminoplasty in an 81-Year-Old Man.

White cord syndrome (WCS) shows high intramedullary signaling in T2-weighted MRI with worsening motor nerve symptoms after cervical spinal decompression surgery. It has been reported in only 13 cases. An 81-year-old man had numbness, weakness, and impaired fine motor control in both upper limbs for the previous five years. C3, C4, C6, open-door laminoplasty, and C5 laminectomy were performed. Intraoperative transcranial motor evoked potential normalization by compound muscle action potential showed an 80% reduction in amplitude in the right abductor pollicis brevis and a 96% reduction in the right abductor hallucis. Tetraplegia occurred immediately after the operation. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on the day after the operation showed intramedullary T2 high signals at the C4 and C5 levels. According to Brunnstrom's staging, the upper and lower right limbs and the lower left limb were at stage two, and the upper left limb was at stage three, six months after the operation. Thirteen cases of WCS have been reported in the literature. These were thought to be caused by reperfusion due to decompression.

Combining Laminoplasty With Artificial Disc Replacement for the Treatment of Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy With Congenital Cervical Stenosis.

BACKGROUND: Cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) is a very common and devastating spinal disease. Congenital cervical stenosis (CCS) is the most common cause. We aimed to elucidate the security, effectivity, and feasibility of surgery combining laminoplasty with artificial disc replacement (ADR) to treat CSM patients with radiculopathy, especially for preserving the range of motion (ROM) of the cervical spine. METHOD: Between August 2008 and April 2019, 39 patients with multiple CSM caused by CCS were enrolled in the present study. All patients received laminoplasty first and then ADR. We used a retrospective collection of data for evaluating the functional and radiologic outcomes, especially regarding preservation of ROM. RESULTS: Each patient underwent at least a 2-year postoperative follow-up. The Japanese Orthopedic Association score showed great improvements at 6 months. The ADR index-level ROM was preserved during follow-up. The subaxial Cobb angle could also be retained in the whole cervical spine, and the spinal canal diameter could be expanded by more than 52.6%. There were no severe complications or side effects, and no patients needed secondary surgery. CONCLUSIONS: We aimed to treat multiple levels of CSM with adequate decompression without too many intervertebral disc replacements. We were able to expand the spinal canal directly for these patients with CCS and needed only 1- or 2-level ADR to treat them with associated radiculopathy. This combined surgical strategy was secure, effective, and was able to preserve the ROM of the cervical spine.

The Enhanced Recovery After Surgery pathway for posterior cervical surgery: a retrospective propensity-matched cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: The Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocol is a comprehensive, multifaceted approach aimed at improving postoperative outcomes. It incorporates a range of strategies to promote early and more effective recovery, including reducing pain, complications, and length of stay, without increasing readmission rate. To date, ERAS for spine surgery patients has been primarily limited to lumbar surgery and anterior cervical decompression and fusion (ACDF). ERAS has not been previously studied for posterior cervical surgery, which may present a greater opportunity for improvement in patient outcomes with ERAS than ACDF. This single-institution, multi-surgeon study assessed the impact of an ERAS protocol in patients undergoing posterior cervical decompression surgery. METHODS: This study included a retrospective consecutive patient cohort with controls that were propensity matched for age, body mass index, sex, home opioid use, surgical levels, Nurick grade, and smoking status. In addition, consecutive patients who underwent posterior cervical decompression surgery for degenerative disease from December 2014 to December 2021 were included. ERAS was implemented in December 2018. Demographic, perioperative, clinical, and radiographic information was gathered. Regression models were created to evaluate length of stay, physiological function, pain levels, and opioid use. The primary focus was length of stay, with secondary outcomes including timing of ambulation, bowel movement, and voiding; daily pain scores; opioid consumption; discharge status; 30-day readmission rates; and reoperation rates. RESULTS: There were 366 patients included in the study, all of whom were included in multivariate models, and 254 (127 in each cohort) were included on the basis of matching. After propensity matching, patient characteristics, operative procedures, and operative duration were similar between groups. The ERAS cohort had a significantly improved length of stay (3.2 vs 4.7 days, p < 0.0001) and home discharge rate (80% vs 50%, p < 0.001) without an increase in readmission rate. The ERAS cohort had an earlier day of the first ambulation (p = 0.003), bowel movement (p = 0.014), and voiding (p = 0.001). ERAS demonstrated a significantly lower composite complication rate (1.1 vs 1.8, p < 0.0001). ERAS resulted in better maximum pain scores (p = 0.043) and trended toward improved mean pain scores (p = 0.072), although total opioid use was similar. CONCLUSIONS: Implementing a novel ERAS protocol significantly improved length of stay, return of physiological function, home discharge, complications, and maximum pain score after posterior cervical surgery.

A novel surgical technique for cervical laminoplasty in patients with multilevel cervical spondylotic myelopathy: A case report and literature review.

Cervical laminoplasty is a posterior-based surgical decompression technique for the treatment of multilevel cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) that may improve the preservation of cervical mobility, spinal canal structure, and natural lordosis. Although this procedure is considered to be comparatively safe, with fewer complications than those seen with laminectomy, several postoperative problems have been noted, including axial neck pain, C5 nerve palsy, and failed resolution of radiculopathy. Hence, various modifications have been made to improve the safety and effectiveness of this technique. Here, we report the case of a 74-year-old man with multilevel CSM who underwent posterior cervical laminoplasty in the C3-C7 segments using a novel surgical technique, termed alternating-side cervical laminoplasty. Preoperative and postoperative assessments, including visual analog scale, modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association, neck disability index scores, and imaging data, were collected and analyzed. The results of a 5-year follow-up indicated that the patient recovered well, with no development of axial neck pain. This is the first report of this modified open-door laminoplasty, which we propose may be a better surgical option for preventing postoperative axial neck pain in patients with multilevel CSM. Additionally, opening the laminae on the alternating sides during laminoplasty could provide a flexible approach to complete decompression on different radiculopathy sides.

Influence of Preoperative T1-Slope and Cervical Sagittal Vertical Axis on Postoperative Cervical Sagittal Alignment Following Posterior Cervical Laminoplasty.

BACKGROUND: Assess correlation between preoperative cervical sagittal alignment (T1 slope [T1S] and C2-C7 cervical sagittal vertical axis [cSVA]) and postoperative cervical sagittal balance after posterior cervical laminoplasty. METHODS: Consecutive patients who underwent laminoplasty at a single institution with >6 weeks postoperative follow-up were divided into 4 groups based on preoperative cSVA and T1S (Group 1: cSVA <4 cm/T1S <20°; Group 2: cSVA ≥4 cm/T1S ≥20°; Group 3: cSVA <4 cm/T1S ≥20°; Group 4: cSVA <4 cm/T1S <20°). Radiographic analyses were conducted at 3 timepoints, and changes in cSVA, C2-C7 cervical lordosis (CL), and T1S -CL were compared. RESULTS: A total of 214 patients met inclusion criteria (28 patients had cSVA <4 cm/T1S <20° [Group 1]; 47 patients had cSVA ≥4 cm/T1S ≥20° [Group 2]; 139 patients had cSVA <4 cm/T1S ≥20° [Group 3]). No patients had cSVA ≥4 cm/T1S <20° (Group 4). Patients either had a C4-C6 (60.7%) or C3-C6 (39.3%) laminoplasty. Mean follow-up was 1.6 ± 1.32 years. For all patients, mean cSVA increased 6 mm postoperatively. cSVA significantly increased postoperatively for both groups with a preoperative cSVA <4 cm (ie, Groups 1 and 3 [P < 0.01]). For all patients, mean CL decreased 2° postoperatively. Groups 1 and 2 had significant differences in preoperative CL but nonsignificant differences at 6 weeks (P = 0.41) and last follow-up (P = 0.06). CONCLUSION: Cervical laminoplasty resulted in a mean decrease in CL. Patients with high preoperative T1S, irrespective of cSVA, were at risk of loss of CL postoperatively. While patients with low preoperative T1S and cSVA <4 cm experienced a decrease in global sagittal cervical alignment, CL was not jeopardized. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The results of this study may facilitate preoperative planning for patients undergoing posterior cervical laminoplasty.