Neck Pain following Laminoplasty

Area of Science:

• Neurosurgery
• Orthopedic Surgery
• Spinal Surgery

Background:

• Laminoplasty is a surgical procedure to treat cervical spinal stenosis.
• Neck pain and disability are common symptoms in patients with cervical spine conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of laminoplasty in reducing preoperative and postoperative neck pain.
• To assess changes in neck disability using the Neck Disability Index (NDI) after laminoplasty.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from 72 patients who underwent laminoplasty.
• 34 patients with a minimum 1-year follow-up were included, completing NDI questionnaires preoperatively and at 6 weeks and 1 year postoperatively.
• Data collected included demographic information, surgical details (EBL, duration, levels), complications, and hospitalization length.

Main Results:

• The study included 34 patients (21 men, 13 women) with a mean age of 62 years and a mean follow-up of 17 months.
• Significant improvements were observed in the NDI total score at 1 year (p < 0.002) and the NDI pain subscore at 6 weeks (p < 0.028) and 1 year (p < 0.007).
• The open door laminoplasty technique was used, with an average of 3 levels treated, and no intraoperative complications were reported.

Conclusions:

• Laminoplasty leads to significant improvements in neck pain and overall functional status as measured by the NDI.
• The positive effects on neck pain and disability are evident at the 1-year postoperative mark, supporting laminoplasty as an effective treatment option.