Peripheral blood RNA biomarkers can predict lesion severity in degenerative cervical myelopathy

Degenerative cervical myelopathy is a common cause of spinal cord injury,with longer symptom duration and higher myelopathy severity indicating a worse prognosis.While numerous studies have investigated serological biomarkers for acute spinal cord injury,few studies have explored such biomarkers for diagnosing degenerative cervical myelopathy.This study involved 30 patients with degenerative cervical myelopathy(51.3±7.3 years old,12 women and 18 men),seven healthy controls(25.7±1.7 years old,one woman and six men),and nine patients with cervical spondylotic radiculopathy(51.9±8.6 years old,three women and six men).Analysis of blood samples from the three groups showed clear differences in transcriptomic characteristics.Enrichment analysis identified 128 differentially expressed genes that were enriched in patients with neurological disabilities.Using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator analysis,we constructed a five-gene model(TBCD,TPM2,PNKD,EIF4G2,and AP5Z1)to diagnose degenerative cervical myelopathy with an accuracy of 93.5%.One-gene models(TCAP and SDHA)identified mild and severe degenerative cervical myelopathy with accuracies of 83.3%and 76.7%,respectively.Signatures of two immune cell types(memory B cells and memory-activated CD4^(+)T cells)predicted levels of lesions in degenerative cervical myelopathy with 80%accuracy.Our results suggest that peripheral blood RNA biomarkers could be used to predict lesion severity in degenerative cervical myelopathy.

Cervical Myelopathy: Diagnostic Aspects, Surgical Treatment and Evolution of Patients Operated upon in Yaounde

Introduction: Although cervical myelopathy is the most common degenerative cervical spine pathology in adults, the indications and approaches of surgical treatment have not yet been clearly defined in the literature. Very few studies exist regarding these aspects in our setting, and they are mostly outdated. This study aimed to describe the diagnostic aspects, current surgical treatment with technical improvements, and progression in patients. Patients and Methods: We conducted a multicentre retrospective descriptive study over a 10-year period between January 2011 and January 2020 in three referral centres in Yaoundé. All patients who underwent surgery for cervical myelopathy were included. Results: Fifty-two patients were recruited. The rate of operated cervical myelopathies among all degenerative spinal pathologies was 14.05%. The M/F sex ratio was 3/1, and the average age was 52 ± 10 years. All included patients had gait problems, 90.38% demonstrated motor deficiency, and 67.30% experienced at least three levels of compression. Surgery was decided based on the Nurick grade;a posterior approach was applied to 86.54% of patients. Postoperative progression showed a neurological improvement of 82% with an average follow-up of 4 years. Conclusion: In this study, the patients who underwent surgery were relatively young, their clinical presentations were mostly advanced, and surgical management showed good results in well-selected cases.

Multilevel cervical spondylotic myelopathy treated by anterior cervical decompression in subsection and autograft fusion

Objective：To investigate a novel surgical method for multilevel cervical spondylotic myelopathy （CSM）. Methods： Totally 21 patients with multilevel CSM undergoing a novel surgical procedure from April 2001 to January 2004 were analyzed retrospectively. All patients experienced anterior cervical decompression surgery in subsection, autograft fusion and internal fixation. Preoperative, immediate postoperative and follow-up image data, X-rays and semi-quantitative Japanese orthopaedics association （JOA） scores were used to evaluate the restoration of lordosis （Cobb＇s angle）, intervertebral heights, the stability of the cervical spine and the improvement of neurological impairment. Results： Preoperative symptoms were markedly alleviated or disappeared in most of the patients. According to the JOA scores, the ratio of improvement in neurological function was 72. 2%, including excellent in 9 cases （42.9%）, good in 7 cases （33.3%）, fair in 3 cases （14.3%） and poor in 2 cases （9.5%）. Immediate postoperative X-rays showed obvious improvements in lordosis and in the intervertebral height of the cervical spine （P〈0. 01）. There is no evidence of instrument failure during the mean follow-up period of 14. 2 months （9-24 months, P〉0. 01）. Conclusion：Anterior cervical decompression in subsection, autograft fusion and internal fixation is a rational effective method for the surgical treatment of multilevel CSM.

Application of anterior decompression and reconstruction using titanium mesh with locking plates in the management of cervical spondylotic myelopathy

Objective：To observe the clinical effect of anterior decompression and reconstruction using titanium mesh with locking plates in the treatment of cervical spondylotic myelopathy. Methods：One hundred and twenty patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy were treated by anterior decompression and reconstruction using titanium mesh with locking plates. There were 66 men and 54 women ranges in age from 37 to 72 Years（mean age, 58.3 years）. The mean Japanese orthopedic surgery association（JOA） scale was 9.6 points before operation. Patients were followed up clinically and radiographically. Results：Having stood surgery well, the operation time ranged between 60-100 min and bleeding during operation ranged between 20-200 ml. There were no case of postoperative infection, recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy, or esophageal or tracheal laceration or rupture. The average follow-up period was 14.3 months（range, 12 to 24 months） in 96 who were followed up. At the last follow-up visit the mean JOA scale had improved to 14.4 points, reflecting an improvement of 4.8 points. The results were considered to be excellent in 87 patients, good in 25, fair in 6, and poor in 2. No hardware-related complications or adjacent segment degenerative changes were encountered during the follow-up periods. Stable bone union was observed in all cases and the average time required for fusion was 5.7 months. Conclusion：Titanium mesh filled with autologous bone graft can avoid the complications associated with harvesting bone from the iliac crest donor site. When combined with cervical anterior locking plate, it can obtain satisfatory clinical results for the treatment of cervical spondylotic myelopathy.

Cervical spondylotic myelopathy with syringomyelia presenting as hip Charcot neuroarthropathy:A case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND Charcot neuroarthropathy(CN)is a systemic disease characterized by progressive bone loss and destruction,which is usually closely related to diabetes,HIV,etc.However,CN caused by syringomyelia accounts for only 5%of CN cases;the shoulder and elbow are most often involved,and the hip joint is rarely affected.As a rare factor,cervical spondylotic myelopathy(CSM)can be associated with syringomyelia,which is scarcely reported in the literature.Here,we present the first case report to date of CN of the hip caused by syringomyelia secondary to CSM.CASE SUMMARY We describe a 76-year-old male patient who was diagnosed with CSM due to neck pain and weakness of limbs 16 years ago.Four years ago,he noticed recurrent swelling of the right hip with pain and was diagnosed with degenerative arthritis.Recently,however,his symptoms gradually worsened,and because of progressive pain,destabilization and weakness of the right hip,he was admitted to our hospital.Through systematic physical,radiographic and laboratory examinations,we finally reached a diagnosis:CN of the right hip associated with syringomyelia secondary to CSM.After comprehensive evaluation of the patient's condition,we performed right total hip arthroplasty.During the follow-up,the patient felt well clinically and could walk independently with a knee brace.CONCLUSION We suggest a possible etiological association between CSM and syringomyelia,which may reflect a potential pathogenesis of CN.We encourage clinicians to actively carry out a detailed medical history and comprehensive physical and imaging examinations in patients with joint lesions,especially chronic shoulder neck pain,to rule out the possibility of this association,which plays a crucial role in the early diagnosis of CN.Arthroplasty may no longer be an absolute contraindication to surgical treatment of CN.Reasonable selection of the surgical strategy can markedly improve the clinical symptoms and quality of life of patients.

A wake up call for cervical spondylotic myelopathy in young age : a case report

A 30 yrs male,was admitted with complains ofneck pain,weakness in both upper and lower limbs forfour months and mild intermittent paresthesia along hisupper limbs.Physical examination showed mild senso-ry deficit

Functional evaluation using several evoked spinal cord potentials in elderly patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy

BACKGROUND ： The recordings of evoked spinal cord potentials following epidural spinal cord stimulation are thought to be generated by volleys traversing the dorsal column pathway, and it may not directly reflect conduction defects in corticospinat tracts of cervical spinal cord. To our knowledge there has been few report using several evoked spinal cord potentials in function evaluation of the cervical spinal cord in eldedy patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy （CSM）. OBJECTIVE： To investigate the function states of the cervical spinal cord in elderly patients with CSM and explore its pathophysictogic mechanism. DESIGN： Case observation SETTING ： Department of Orthopedics for the aged, Shenzhen Pingle Hospital of Orthopedics. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Yamaguchi University School of Medicine. PARTICIPANTS ： A total of 23 eldedy patients with CSM who received treatment in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Yamaguchi University School of Medicine of Japan from January 2003 to February 2004 were enrolled in this study. Inclusive criteria： ① Multiple intervertebral levels of cervical spinal cord compression confirmed by MRI, e.g. 3 or more than 3 levels of compressin. ② Age ≥ 70 years old. ③ Numbness and sensory disturbance in the upper limbs and showed hyperreflexia in the lower limbs. Exclusive criteria： Patients with abnormal motor and sensory nerve conduction velocities in both upper and lower limbs were excluded. METHODS： Evoked spinal cord potentials （ESCPs） following transcranial electric stimulation （TCE-ESCPs）, epidural spinal cord stimulation （SpinaI-ESCPs） and median nerve stimulation （MN-ESCPs） were recorded in 23 patients from posterior epidural space intreoperatively. The abnormalities of TCE-ESCPs were defined as attenuation of amplitude of the D wave. The most cranial intervertebral level showing abnormal TCE-ESCPs with a marked reduction in size of the negative peak （reduction of over 50%） was considered as the upper level of the spinal cord lesion with respect to the corticospinal tract in white matter. The abnormalities of SpinaI-ESCPs were defined as marked reduction in the size of negative peak （reduction of over 50%）. The most caudal intervertebral level showing abnormal SpinaI-ESCPs was considered as the lower level of the spinal cord lesion with respect to the dorsal column pathway in white matter. The abnormalities of MN-ESCPs were defined as attenuation of the N13 amplitude,which was considered as the lesion level of the spinal cord with respect to the dorsal horn in gray matter. Radiological investigation： Lateral view of plain X-ray films was obtained in flexion and extension of the cervical spine. Instability of the cervical intervertebral level was determined as horizontal displacement of the vertebral body of over 3 mm. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES ： The results of examination of TCE-ESCPs, SpinaI-ESCPs and MN-ESCPs in el- dedy patients with CSM. RESULTS： The 23 eldedy patients with CSM were participated in the result analysis. ①TCE-ESCPs： The impairment of the corticospinal tract in white matter at single intervertebral level was revealed in 18 of 23 patients by recordings of TCE-ESCPs （sensitivity 78%）. In the 18 patients, the lesion level was shown at the up- per cervical segment in 14 patients （C3-4n=10 and C4-5n=4）, and at the lower cervical segment in 4 patients （C5-6n=4）. ②Spinal-ESCPs： The impairment of the dorsal column pathway of white matter at single intervertebral level was revealed in 17 of 23 patients, by recordings of Spinal-ESCPs （sensitivity 74%）. In the 17 patients, the lesion level was presented at the upper cervical segment in 14 patients （C3-4n=10 and C4-5n=4）, and at the lower cervical segment in 3 patients （C5-6 n=3）. ③MN-ESCPs： All patients revealed abnormal MN-ESCPs at one or more intervertebral levels （sensitivity 100%）. The impairment at single intervertebral level was demonstrated in 17 patients, and the impairment at multiple intervertebral levels was shown in 4 patients （3 patients at the C3-4, C4-4, and C5-4~6, and one patient at the C4-5, C5-6, and C6-7）. ④Radiological findings： The Instability of the intervertebral level at the C3-4 or C4-5 motion segment was seen in 15 patients, with a total of 20 levels, and where 10 were at the C3-4 intervertebral level and 5 were at the C3-4, C4-5 intervertebral level. CONCLUSION ： The results suggest that in most elderly patients with CSM who have multiple intervertebral level compressions of the cervical spinal cord on MRI, white matter is impaired at the single cervical intervertebral level, and not only the dorsal column pathway, but also the corticospinal tract can be affected. Combined the findings of radiography, the excessive motion and instability of the C3-4 or C4-5 intervertebral level plays an important role in inducing the long tract lesion in elderly patients with CSM.

Anterior and Posterior Approach Results for Treatment of Cervical Myelopathy in the Elderly: A 10-Year Experience in a Mexican Institution

Introduction: Degeneration of the cervical spine (CDSD) prevalence is nearly 90% by the 7th decade. This is the first research that compares the outcomes between the Anterior Approach (AA) and Posterior Approach (PA) to cervical myelopathy (CM) in the elderly. Materials and Methods: A retrospective observational study of electronic health records at the Hospital Central Sur de Alta Especialidad (HCSAE), PEMEX from January 2010 to May 2020 with patients older than 60 years submitted to cervical surgery. For the analysis we elaborated two groups according to the surgical approach: AA vs PA;we analyzed the trans-operative behavior, the immediate outcome, and after 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year. Results: As a total of 145 patients, the prevalence of CM in elderly was the 63.8% with a median age of 69 (64 - 75) years. We found statistical differences in strength outcome only in the P3m (p = 0.011), for sensitivity we found major prevalence of affection in the PA group. We didn’t report a significant difference in the Neck Disability Index (NDI) at all measures, but the PA presented a major incapacity. The Nurick scale results were significant in all stages (p < 0.05);and presented improvement compared with presurgical period (p < 0.001). Discussion: Patients show significant improvements in outcome measures with either anterior or posterior surgery. Both approaches are highly efficacious in preventing neurologic deterioration and in most cases improve neurological function with appropriate postoperative management like rehabilitation, pain management, and psychological support. Conclusion: The patients submitted to surgical medullary decompression presented a favorable outcome despite the age and the higher prevalence of comorbidities;whereby we favor the surgical treatment in all patients in a case-to-case selection to generate a positive impact on functional outcomes.

Spontaneous Cervical Epidural Hematomas in Mild Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy Patients：An Analysis of 8 Cases

Spontaneous cervical epidural hematoms（SCEH） complicated with mild cervical spondylotic myelopathy（CSM） is a rare but emerging condition.Early diagnosis and treatment are important for good outcomes.This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics of this condition and to discuss the optimal treatment.The clinical data from 8 patients with SCEH plus CSM who were divided into two groups by treatment methods were retrospectively analyzed.The neurological function of the patients was assessed by Japanese Orthopedic Association（JOA） score before and after the surgical operations.Other factors were reviewed with medical records.Among them,4 out of the 8 patients underwent emergency surgery,and the rest 3 patients experienced an initial conservative treatment and ultimately received a laminectomy.We found that the Frankel Scale scores in most of the surgical patients were increased after surgery（6/7,85.7%）.However,the JOA scores at the 6th month after onset were even lower than those before onset in 3 of the operative cases,and those in the patients who were given conservative treatment showed no significant change.It was concluded that some patients with SCEH and CSM treated with a timely operation may obtain relief from their previous CSM symptoms.However,the final neurological deficits of these patients were closely related to the progressive interval which refers to the hours between the initial onset and the occurrence of new neurological deficits or mild CSM deterioration,no matter whether they accept the operation.We found the crucial progressive interval may be in 9 h.Early MRI and prompt neurosurgical intervention are also important to improve the neurological deficits.

Clinical Study of Acupotomy Trinity Lysis on Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy with Liver and Kidney Deficiency Syndrome

Objective:To compare the therapeutic effects of acupotomy trinity lysis and traditional acupotomy on cervical spondylotic myelopathy.Methods:A total of 205 patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy of liver and kidney deficiency syndrome were randomly divided into the experimental group(105 cases)and the control group(100 cases).The experimental group was relaxed with acupotomy in three positions:Heaven(tian),Human(ren)and Earth(di).Traditional acupotomy was used to relax Ashi acupoints of the affected vertebra in the control group.One treatment was conducted in one week,and the duration of one course of treatment was three weeks.The VAS,JOA score and NDI index were observed after treatment.Results:Before and after treatment,the total treatment efficiency of the treatment group was 95.23%,and that of the control group was 80.00%,there was significant difference between the two groups,P<0.05;Before operation,there was no significant difference in JOA score,NDI index score,and VAS score between the treatment group and the control group(P>0.05);there was no significant difference after 1 week(P>0.05),but there were significant differences between the two groups 2 weeks and 3 weeks after operation(P<0.05).Conclusion:Acupotomy trinity lysis is a safe,effective and economical treatment for cervical spondylotic myelopathy.

Selection of surgical methods for thoracic ossification of ligamentum flavum combined with cervical spondylotic myelopathy

Objective To investigate the difference between different surgical methods for thoracic ossification of ligamentum flavum(OLF) combined with cervical spondylotic myelopathy(CSM) . Methods From January 1991 to January 2003,56 cases

Mechanical and cellular processes driving cervical myelopathy

Cervical myelopathy is a well-described clinical syndrome that may evolve from a combination of etiological mechanisms. It is traditionally classified by cervical spinal cord and/or nerve root compression which varies in severity and number of levels involved. The vast array of clinical manifestations of cervical myelopathy cannot fully be explained by the simple concept that a narrowed spinal canal causes compression of the cord, local tissue ischemia, injury and neurological impairment. Despite advances in surgical technology and treatment innovations, there are limited neuro-protective treatments for cervical myelopathy, which reflects an incomplete understanding of the pathophysiological processes involved in this disease. The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of the key pathophysiological processes at play in the development of cervical myelopathy.

Application of magnetic resonance imaging in cervical spondylotic myelopathy

Cervical spondylotic myelopathy(CSM) is the most common cause of spinal cord dysfunction and is caused by static or dynamic repeated compression of the spinal cord resulting from degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine and some biological injuries to the cervical spine. The T2 signal change on conventional magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) is most commonly associated with neurological deficits. Diffusion tensor imaging and MR spectroscopy show altered microstructure and biochemistry that reflect patient-specific pathogenesis and can be used to predict neurological outcome and response to intervention. Functional MRI can help to assess the neurological functional recovery after decompression surgery for CSM.

CLINICAL STUDY OF MOTOR EVOKED POTENTIALS BY MAGNETIC STIMULATION IN CERVICAL SPONDYLOTIC MYELOPATHY

The combined use of motor .yoked pot'ntlais (MEPs) with F way, recording was cornpared with somatesemory evoked potentials (SEPs) in order to evaluate the clinical value or MEPs incervical spondylotic myelopathy. Magnetic stimulation of motor cortex with F wave recording was used assess central motor conduction. time, (CMCT). and central somatoseusory conduction time(CSCT)was evaluated by SEPs in 20 pailents surffring from myeloP8thy of cervical spondylosis. Theresults were comapared with 20 control subjects. The results showed that CMCT of Patients was obviously prolonged then that of contral subjects, the sbnormal rate was 80% which was higher than70K of SEPs slid that the prolongation or CMCT had a good correlation with the severe degree ofmyelopathy. The Painless and noninvasive .magnetic stimulation of PEPs could figure out the compressed degree of motor descending pathway and was. useful technique for diagnosis of cervicalspondylotic myelopathy.

Effect of Exercise Program on the Rehabilitation of Patients with Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy

Study Design: A clinical trial of 30 consecutive patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). Objectives: To evaluate the effect of directed physical exercise in patients with CSM and to measure severity of myelopathy before and after an exercise program. Setting: Christian Medical College and Hospital, India. Participants: Thirty patients with CSM (mean age-54.1 years) with Nuricks Grade 2 and 3. Background: Myelopathy of the spinal cord can be caused by degenerative process of the cervical vertebrae and it is the most common type of dysfunction of the spinal cord in adult population. CSM usually develops insidiously and the natural history is not well understood, there is debate over the indication for operative Vs non operative management. Method: Patients participated in a 6-week exercise program, consisting of active exercises to upper and lower extremities, scapulothoracic muscles, and gentle stretches, sub maximal isometric exercises of the deep neck flexors, relaxation and immobilization with a cervical collar. Main Outcome Measures: The mJOA (modified Japanese orthopaedic association score) and ASIA motor and sensory scoring. The results were processed by using Wilcoxon sign rank test. Results: After comparing the values at the beginning and end of the program a satisfactory neurological result (sensorimotor/motor and sensory) was obtained in all thirty patients. Conclusion: The exercise program had a positive impact for most of the variables of the study. Exercise intervention with neck immobilization may be a treatment of choice in early stages of CSM. Future randomized controlled studies would provide insight into the effectiveness and clinical relevance of this intervention.

Efficacy of Modified Expansive Open-Door Laminoplasty for Cervical Myelopathy

Objectives: Expansive open-door laminoplasty is used widely for the treatment of cervical spondylosis and Ossification of the Posterior Longitudinal Ligament (OPLL). We have developed a unique modification of the surgical procedure to keep the lamina expanded, with the aim of preventing reclosure of the vertebral arch. To examine the effectiveness of and problems associated with the modified expansive open-door laminoplasty technique developed at our institution by evaluating the surgical outcomes. Methods and Materials: Fifty-six patients (46 men and 10 women) underwent the modified expansive open-door laminoplasty and were followed up for at least 1 year. Thirty-eight had Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy (CSM) and 18 had OPLL. The patients were 34 to 89 years of age (mean: 60.9 years). The severity of myelopathy was evaluated according to the Japanese Orthopaedic Association’s scoring system. Surgical outcomes were evaluated using Hirabayashi’s system for determining recovery rate. In the radiographic analysis, the following angles were measured before and after surgery: lordosis angle and Range of Motion (ROM) at C2 - C7 on lateral radiographs, and opening angle on computerized tomography (CT). The presence and absence of axial pain and postoperative C5 palsy were also evaluated. Results: The rate of JOA score improvement was about 60%, the lordosis angle observed on lateral radiographs was maintained. ROM decreased after surgery in both the CSM and OPLL groups, and the extent of the decrease was similar to that in previous reports. The opening angle of the lamina was 62°- 65° on post-operative CT. Axial pain was reported by 34% of patients. Conclusions: Our modified procedure produced satisfactory postoperative outcomes based on the clinical data and imaging findings for both CSM and OPLL. The advantage of this procedure is that it avoids potential complications associated with bone grafts or implants.

The Surgical Approaches of Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy and the Predictive Factors for the Surgical Outcomes

Objective To explore the efficacy and safety of different surgical approaches of cervical spondylotic myelopathy, and the predictive factors for the outcome of surgery. Methods Clinical data of 68 consecutive patients who underwent surgical treatment from 2003-08-01 to 2006-12-01 were collected. The quantization of the efficacy of operation was made by applying Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) scoring system, based on which the recovery rate and satisfaction rate were calculated. In the patients who underwent anterior approach, we compared the recovery rate among the subgroups of different duration of symptoms, age at surgery and the severity of diseases. Any surgery-related complications were also noted. Results 73.5% (50/68) patients underwent anterior approach, with an average recovery rate of (68.21 ± 10.06)% and the satisfaction rate of 88.00%;20.6% patients (14/68) underwent posterior approach, with an average recovery rate of (64.03 ± 7.07)% and the satisfaction rate of 100%. The recovery rate had no significant difference in the two approaches. Only 4 patients (5.9%) underwent anterior and posterior combined approach, and the recovery rate and the satisfaction rate were 65.10% and 100%, respectively. In the group of patients who accepted anterior approach, no significant differences were found in the recovery rates of different age subgroups and different duration of symptom subgroups;the significant differences recovery rates between the moderate and severe subgroups were identified. Minor complications, such as asymptomatic screw misplacement, transient dysphagia/odynophagia, pain related to the donor site and axial syndrome, were observed in a few patients. Conclusion The JOA score can be improved by applying the appropriate approaches and the high recovery and satisfaction rates can be achieved at the same time. The efficacies of anterior and posterior approaches were similar. The complications of surgery were minor. In the patients who underwent anterior approach, the severity of diseases was a predictive factor for the outcome of surgery.

Rehabilitation intervention of cervical spondylotic myelopathy combined with thoracic spinal canal stenosis

Objective To investigate diagnosis and treatment characters of cervical spondylotic myelopathy combined with thoracic spinal stenosis, and to analysis effective pathway of spinal function recovery. Methods We took respective analysis on diagnosis, treatment and recovery results of 12 cases, whose symptoms, signs and MR were explicit. Results Follow ups times were from 9 months to 5 years and 8 months. Nerve function of 8 cases recovered completely or nearly completely; that of 2 cases improved apparently and that of 2 cases improved slightly. Conclusion Detailed disease history collection, particular body examination and MR reading are very important to early diagnosis of cervical spondylotic myelopathy combined with thoracic spinal stenosis. Early operation combined with cervical and thoracic spinal canal decompression at same time or at different stages is the single effective method to patients’ function recovery.

Clinical Outcome after Laminectomy without Fusion for Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy

Dorsal decompression in patients, presenting with cervical spondylotic myelopathy with no signs of instability, is a standard surgical option. Laminectomy or laminoplasty is applied to reduce the pressure on the myelon. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcome in a consecutive series of patients. This retrospective study included a total of 65 patients who underwent laminectomy or laminoplasty at a single or more levels, without fusion for cervical spondylotic myelopathy, during an 8-year period (2000-2007). The clinical data evaluation included pre- and postoperative patient history and neurological and surgical variables. The radiological assessment included MRI, CT, and plain anterior-posterior, lateral, and lateral flexion-extension X-rays. The mean follow-up time was 15 months. Improvement of gait disturbance was documented in 74% of the patients concerned. Radicular pain in the upper limbs (UL) and lower limbs (LL) improved in 87% and 50% of the patients, respectively. Sensory deficits improved in the UL and LL in 76% and 54%, respectively. Motor deficits improved in the UL and LL in 70% and 56% of the patients, respectively. Clinical deterioration after surgery was documented in one patient. Based on our results, laminectomy without fusion can be advocated as a safe and effective surgical strategy to treat cervical spondylotic myelopathy in patients without preoperative instability. In these patients, the occurrence of post-procedural clinical deterioration and instability was low, and overall improvement of neurological deficits and amelioration of radicular pain can be expected in a significant number of patients.

Machine learning-based detection of cervical spondylotic myelopathy using multiple gait parameters

Cervical spondylotic myelopathy(CSM)is the main cause of adult spinal cord dysfunction,mostly appearing in middle-aged and elderly patients.Currently,the diagnosis of this condition depends mainly on the available imaging tools such as X-ray,computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging(MRI),of which MRI is the gold standard for clinical diagnosis.However,MRI data cannot clearly demonstrate the dynamic characteristics of CSM,and the overall process is far from costefficient.Therefore,this study proposes a new method using multiple gait parameters and shallow classifiers to dynamically detect the occurrence of CSM.In the present study,45 patients with CSM and 45 age-matched asymptomatic healthy controls(HCs)were recruited,and a three-dimensional(3D)motion capture system was utilized to capture the locomotion data.Furthermore,63 spatiotemporal,kinematic,and nonlinear parameters were extracted,including lower limb joint angles in the sagittal,coronal,and transverse planes.Then,the Shapley Additive exPlanations(SHAP)value was utilized for feature selection and reduction of the dimensionality of features,and five traditional shallow classifiers,including support vector machine(SVM),logistic regression(LR),k-nearest neighbor(KNN),decision tree(DT),and random forest(RF),were used to classify gait patterns between CSM patients and HCs.On the basis of the 10-fold cross-validation method,the highest average accuracy was achieved by SVM(95.56%).Our results demonstrated that the proposed method could effectively detect CSM and thus serve as an automated auxiliary tool for the clinical diagnosis of CSM.