Quality of life in symptomatic cervical myelopathy after open-door laminoplasty

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the results obtained by open-door laminoplasty using the Newbridge®/Blackstone plate, in cases of myelopathy associated with cervical lordosis. Methods: From December 2010 to October 2012, eight patients between the ages of 49 and 68 underwent open-door laminoplasty with the use of the Newbridge® fixation system for maintenance and stabilization of the cervical laminoplasty. Minimum follow-up was four months. For the evaluation of quality of life the questionnaire SF-36 was applied at the following times: preoperative, one month and three months after surgery associated with the subjective assessment of the patient regarding satisfaction with the procedure and with the Nurick neurological scale applied prior to surgery and three months later. Results: According to the SF-36, there was significant improvement in the domains functional ability, general health perceptions and emotional aspects over time; regarding physical limitations and social aspects there was no improvement in the first postoperative month, only in the third month. There were no statistically significant changes observed during the period covered by this study related to pain, vitality and mental health. According to Nurick scale, there was evidence of improvement in symptoms of cervical myelopathy. Based on the subjective evaluation of the patients, surprisingly, all patients were satisfied with the surgical procedure and the results. Conclusion: The open-door laminoplasty technique with rigid fixation to maintain the opening is useful in improving the symptoms of cervical myelopathy associated with lordosis, leading to improved quality of life and with a high degree of patient satisfaction and fewer complications.