Cervical Corpectomy and Plate Fixation for Postlaminectomy Kyphosis

Department

neurosurgery

Document Type

Article

Abstract

Between 1987 and 1991, 20 patients with symptomatic postlaminectomy kyphosis were treated with anterior decompression, bone graft, and anterior cervical plate. The patients were predominantly male (14:6) with a mean age of 58 years. The initial laminectomy was performed for either spondylosis (80%) or spinal tumor (20%). All patients had anterior compressive pathology, which was associated with instability (45%), neck pain (75%), myeloradiculopathy (90%), or severe neck deformity (30%). The mean degree of kyphosis was 38°. Treatment consisted of a trial of cervical traction (75%), anterior corpectomy (95%), intersegmental decompression (5%), bone fusion (100%), and fixation with either Caspar (85%) or Synthes (15%) anterior plating at a mean of 3.8 levels. Halo fixation was used in 10% of patients. Postoperative complications included vocal cord paresis (15%), pneumonia (10%), wound dehiscence (5%), and screw pull-out (5%). At follow-up evaluation, a mean of 28 months after treatment, all patients had a solid fusion and a mean curvature improvement to 16° residual kyphosis. Neurologically, 10% were cured, 55% were improved and returned to premorbid function, 30% were stable, and 5% had late progression. These data suggest that immediate fixation with anterior plating facilitates solid fusion, maintains spinal curvature, and promotes neurological improvement.

Publication Date

1994

Publication Title

Journal of Neurosurgery

ISSN

0022-3085

Volume

80

Issue

6

First Page

963

Last Page

970

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.3171/jns.1994.80.6.0963

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS