Cervical expensive open-door laminoplasty combined with vitamin B12 treatment for patients of cervical spondylotic myelopathy with subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cord

Abstract

Objective To investigate the clinical outcome of cervical expensive open-door laminoplasty combined with vitamin B12 treatment for patients of cervical spondylotic myelopathy with subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cord. Methods Data of 10 patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy with subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cord in February 2013 to August 2013 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 7 males and 3 females with an average age of 46 years (range, 32-73 years). Eight patients’ history was in six months, and others’ was beyond six months. All patients had undergone cervical expansive open-door laminoplasty with mini-plate fixation combined with intramuscular injection or pre os vitamin B12. Patient imaging data were used to assess the stability of the cervical spine, and spinal cord compression in the fixed position before and after their surgery. Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score was used to evaluate function, and the rate of neurological improvement was calculated. The American Spinal Injury Association was used to evaluate the neurological function inpatients be-fore and after surgery. The preoperative and postoperative numerical changes of SEP and vitamin B12 were compared using corre-lation analysis. Each dimension of preoperative and postoperative scores change was compared by Life quality evaluation F-36 scale. Results All patients were followed up for an average period of 15 months (range, 6-26 months). There were no complica-tions related to the internal fixation, such as fixation loosened or broken. Cerebrospinal fluid surrounding the spinal cord within the C3-7 range of the signal on MRI T2WI of the continuous had been recovered. JOA score increased from preoperative 9.6±2.04 to postoperative 14.7±2.04, and postoperative neurological improvement rate was 20%-80%. The excellent and good rate was 90% (9/10) including 4 excellent and 5 good. Vitamin B12 level before operation: 78.30±42.82 pg/ml, postoperative: 176.50±85.77 pg/ml. Electromyography and SEP had been all recovered. There was correlation between preoperative and postoperative vitamin B12 lev-els with spinal cord function score. According to ASIA score, there were 4 cases in C level, 6 in D level preoperatively, while 2 in C level, 5 in D level, 3 in E level postoperatively. Conclusion Cervical spondylotic myelopathy with subacute combined degen- eration of the spinal cord could be treated by surgery. Vitamin B12 by per os or intramuscular injection with removal of the cervi-cal spinal cord compression which creates a space for recovery of spinal cord could improve the surgical curative effect. Key words: Cervical vertebrae; Vitamin B12 deficiency; Subacute combined degeneration