Spinal cord injury in forty-four patients with cervical spondylosis

Within a 12-year period, 44 (9.4%) of 466 patients had spinal cord injury complicating cervical spondylosis. A history of alcoholic use preceding the accident was obtained in 12 (54.5%) of 22 patients whose cord injury was due to a minor fall. The initial myelopathy was complete in 10 patients and incomplete in 34. Although neurological recovery was seen in the majority of the patients with incomplete cord lesion, complete recovery was unusual and most of the patients were partly or completely wheelchair dependent. No patient developed acute neurological deterioration after injury but seven expired. The mortality rate was much higher in the patients whose initial cord lesion was complete (50% or 5/10) than in those with incomplete myelopathy (5.9% or 2/34). There was no delayed neurological deterioration due to progressive spondylosis of the spine but three patients developed post-traumatic syringomyelia several months to several years after the injury.