ABSTRACT
Cervical spondylotic myelopathy and ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament
are two of the leading etiologies of spinal cord damage in older patients. For most
patients, the natural history is one of slow stepwise decline in function. With nonsurgical
therapy only 30 to 50% of patients are expected to stabilize. Surgical options include
anterior and posterior surgical decompression, spinal canal expansion, and spinal
column stabilization. Prospective, randomized trials with standardized outcome measures
are needed to clarify the benefit of surgery conclusively.
KEYWORDS
Cervical myelopathy - ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament - cervical
spondylotic myelopathy - surgery