[Efficacies of anterior approach for cervical spinal canal stenosis]

To evaluate the therapeutic efficacies and surgical procedures of anterior approach for cervical spinal canal stenosis.

A total of 162 cases of cervical spinal canal stenosis underwent anterior surgical procedure from March 2007 to March 2010. The operative duration, the volume of blood loss and the days of postoperative hospital stay were recorded and analyzed. The Cobb angle and canal sagittal diameter were measured. The bone graft fusion and nerve functions were evaluated postoperatively.

The average operative duration was 86.4 minutes with an intraoperative blood loss of 80.2 ml and a postoperative hospital stay of 5.3 days. A follow-up visit of 9-18 months (average: 12.8) showed that bone graft fusion was achieved in all cases and Cobb angle increased by an average of 7.2 degree. The spinal canal sagittal diameter increased by 4.23 mm. And the JOA (Japanese Orthopedic Association) score increased by an average of 6.1 points at 3 Month post-operation.

For cervical spinal canal stenosis, the pressure comes mostly from the front part. The anterior surgical procedure can decompress directly with a shorter operative duration, a smaller volume of blood loss, a shorter hospitalization stay and an effective recovery of cervical curvature and canal volume.