[Surgical treatment of cervical spondylosis]

In the years 1971-1981 in the Department of Neurosurgery, Military Medical Academy 293 patients were treated surgically for cervical spondylosis. The author describes the methods of surgical treatment calling particular attention to the necessity of wide decompression of the nervous structures and vessels of the vertebral canal and good stabilization of the cervical spine using osseous grafts. In severe cervical myelopathy it is necessary to decompress the spinal cord and its vessels, both anterior and posterior. This is achieved in a two-stage operation. The operation from anterior approach is always done in the first stage of the treatment. The results of surgical treatment of cervical spondylosis are reported. Good and very good results were obtained in 49.7% of cases, improvement in 46.6%, no improvement in 3.7%. Worsening of the neurological status was never observed.