Cervical laminoplasty in patients with ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligaments

Cervical laminoplasty was the operation used for myeloradiculopathy secondary to ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligaments. Some 57 patients were followed up for 5-13 years (average: 7.8 years). The spinal canal from C3 to C7 was surgically opened en bloc unilaterally with spacer bone grafting to maintain the laminae in a 'kept open' position and thus to implement posterior decompression. No serious major surgery-related complications were observed. Favourable results were obtained in 42 patients (74%), but those with advanced preoperative neurological symptoms did not improve. Patients with spinal canals seriously compromised by anterior ossified lesions recovered poorly. We concluded that laminoplasty is recommended for cervical myeloradiculopathy due to ossified posterior longitudinal ligaments for selected patients, but surgery should be done before the patient has developed serious neurological damage.