Effect of open-door laminoplasty together with preservation of the unilateral paraspinal muscle ligament complex on the posterior muscle volume of cervical spine

English Keywords:Cervical spondylotic myelopathy  Musculo-ligamentous complex  Laminoplasty  Muscle area  Muscle volume

English Abstract:

  【Abstract】 Objective：To evaluate the effect of open-door laminoplasty together with preservation of the unilateral paraspinal muscle ligament complex on the posterior muscle volume of cervical spine.Method：60 patients experiencing open-door laminoplasty together with preservation of the unilateral（right side） paraspinal muscle ligament complex due to cervical spondylotic myelopathy were reviewed retrospectively.They were 41 males and 19 females with the mean age of 58.0 years（range，34-78 years） and were followed up for an average of 4.3 months.MRI was performed before operation and at final follow-up.The unilateral cervical posterior muscle volume at cross-section plane at each intervertebral level of C2/3，C3/4，C4/5，C5/6 and C6/7 was measured on MRI using Photoshop software and summed the five ipsilateral area values as the muscle volume.The data were analyzed using SPSS 16.0.Result：Before operation，there was no significant side-related difference for muscle area at each level（P>0.05）.At final follow-up，muscle areas on the right were significantly larger than the countraside at C3/4，C4/5，C5/6（P<0.05），but not at C2/3 and C6/7（P>0.05）.The changes of muscle areas at C2/3，C3/4，C4/5，C5/6 and the sums of the five ipsilateral muscle areas before operation and at final follow-up were greater at right side than those at left side（P<0.05），but not at C6/7（P>0.05）.Before operation，there was no significant side-related difference for the sums of the five muscle areas，but at final follow-up，the sums at right side was significant larger than those at left side（P<0.05）.Conclusion：Open-door laminoplasty together with preservation of the unilateral paraspianl muscle ligament complex is less invasive to the posterior cervical muscle and maintain the posterior cervical muscle volume to some degree. 【Key words】 Cervical spondylotic myelopathy；Musculo-ligamentous complex；Laminoplasty；Muscle area；Muscle volume