Expansive laminoplasty in the treatment of cervical spondylotic myelopathy

The effectiveness of expensive laminoplasty procedure in treatment of cervical spondylotic myelopathy was evaluated in 13 patients. Midsagittal splitting of the laminae from C3-C7 was performed. The laminae were thinned out at their lateral ends in the form of gutters to facilitate the elevation of the splitted laminae. The patients were followed up for 20 months on average. The patients were evaluated according to the Japanese Orthopedic Association [JOA] score for cervical spondylotic myelopathy. An improvement of their neurological score was noted. The complications were few in the form of temporary C5 radiculopathy in one patient, which improved spontaneously, and a persistence of neck pain in two patients