The epidemiology of cervical spondylotic myelopathy

Abstract

This is an observational study looking at the epidemiology of cervical spondylotic myelopathy of patients presenting to our hospital. The notes and MRI scans of 41 patients presenting to the Leicester General Hospital with a clinical diagnosis of cervical myelopathy between January 2004 and December 2008 were reviewed retrospectively. Cervical myelopathy was found to be more common in male patients to the ratio of approximately 2.7:1, with an average age at diagnosis of 63.8years. Multi-level disease was seen in the majority of patients, with C5/6 being the most commonly affected level. Cervical myelopathy predominantly affects men in their 7th decade of life. It is often a multi-level disease with C5/6 being the most commonly affected. It has little in common with cervical radiculopathy and is more analogous to lumber spinal stenosis.