Extraordinary positional cervical spinal cord compression in extension position as a rare cause of postoperative progressive myelopathy after cervical posterior laminoplasty detected using the extension/flexion positional CT myelography: one case after la
Yasushi Fujiwara, Hideki Manabe, Takahiro Harada, Bunichiro Izumi, Nobuo Adachi
February 2017, Volume 26, Issue 1, pp 170 - 177 Case Report Read Full Article 10.1007/s00586-017-5001-2
First Online: 28 February 2017
Purpose
Posterior cervical laminectomies and laminoplasties are common treatments for cervical spondylotic myelopathy. However, recent studies demonstrated that positional spinal cord compression occurred after cervical laminectomies and caused postoperative progressive myelopathy. Although there were no such reports after laminoplasties, we report two cases in which symptomatic extraordinary positional spinal cord compression occurred after laminoplasties in this paper.
Methods
This study included two patients who showed progressive myelopathy: one case after a laminectomy following failure of a single-door laminoplasty and one case after a double-door laminoplasty without interlaminar spacers.
Results
The MRIs showed mild cord compression in the neutral position in both cases. However, the patients could not extend their necks, because it triggered severe neck pain and numbness. Therefore, the positional CT myelography (CTM) was taken in the flexion and extension positions, and it showed severe spinal cord compression only in the extension position. Posterior instrumented fusions were performed for both patients, which improved their symptoms.
Conclusions
This paper demonstrates that postoperative positional spinal cord compression during neck extension caused a progressive myelopathy even after laminoplasty. When myelopathy symptoms worsen after laminoplasties, we recommend positional CTM/MRI evaluation, even though there is no apparent cord compression in the neutral MRI.
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