Treatment of diastematomyelia by operation / 中国矫形外科杂志

ABSTRACT

[Objective]To evaluate the clinical treatment results for diastematomyelia treated by operation. [Method]Data from patients with diastematomyelia admitted to our hospital from May 1978 to January 2006 were reviewed. According to the classification, there were single-tube in 25 and double-tube in 96 patients. One hundred and two patients with diastematomyelia were treated by operation and ninteen by conservative treatment. The clinical results were retrospectively analyzed according to scoring neural function and monitoring the peak P40 of posterior trivial nerve cortical somatosensory evoked potential (PTNCSEP) before and after treatment.[Result]The total operative effective rate of double-tube diastematomyelia amounted to 86% during a follow-up period of 6 months to 15 years,more significant in patients with pain.The scores of neural function and PTNCSEP were significantly improved. But patients with single-tube diastematomyelia had no obvious change after operation.[Conclusion]The spinal cord is damaged severely in double-tube diastematomyelia and gradually aggravated.Operation can get symptomatic relief in many patients and terminate spinal cord lesion. So operation should be performed as soon as the diagnosis is made. The spinal cord is damaged slightly in single-tube diastematomyelia and surgery is not indicated.