Surgical decision-making for ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament versus other types of degenerative cerv
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(2020) 21:823
REVIEW
Open Access
Surgical decision-making for ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament versus other types of degenerative cervical myelopathy: anterior versus posterior approaches Suzanna Sum Sum Kwok and Jason Pui Yin Cheung*
Abstract Background: The debate between anterior or posterior approach for pathologies such as cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) and ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) have drawn heated debate but are still inconclusive. Main body of the abstract: A narrative review was performed specifically to study the differences pertaining to OPLL and other causes of degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM). Current evidence suggests that anterior approach is preferred for K-line (−) OPLL, K-line (+) with canal occupying ratio > 60% and DCM with pre-existing cervical kyphosis. Posterior approach is preferred for K-line (+) OPLL with canal-occupying ratio < 50–60%, and multi-level CSM. No particular advantage for either approach was observed for DCM in a lordotic cervical spine. Anterior approach is generally associated with more complications and thus needs to be weighed carefully during decision-making. The evidence is not convincing for comparing single versus multi-level involvement, and the role of patients' co-morbidity status, pre-existing osteoporosis and co-existent spinal pathologies in influencing patient outcome and surgical options. This should be a platform for future research directives. Conclusion: From this review, evidence is still inconclusive but there are some factors to consider, and DCM and OPLL should be considered separately for decision-making. Anterior approach is considered for pre-existing cervical kyphosis in DCM, for K-line (−) regardless of canal-occupying ratio, and K-line (+) and canal-occupying ratio > 60% for OPLL patients. Posterior approach is considered for patients with multi-level pathology for DCM, and K-line (+) and canal-occupying ratio < 50–60% for OPLL. Keywords: Cervical myelopathy, Ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament, OPLL, Cervical spine, Degenerative cervical myelopathy, DCM, Cervical spondylotic myelopathy, CSM
* Correspondence: [email protected] Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, The University of Hong Kong, Professorial Block, 5th Floor, 102 Pokfulam Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, SAR, China © The Author(s). 2020 Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceed
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