The spinal cord in rheumatoid arthritis with clinical myelopathy: a computed myelographic study.

Thirty one patients with suspected myelopathy due to rheumatoid arthritis were examined by plain radiography and 27 had computed myelography. Clinical features and radiological findings were compared. Deformity of the spinal cord could occur in the absence of combined anterior and posterior compression and correlated closely with clinical features only when considered in combination with skeletal and adjacent soft tissue abnormalities. The best surgical results were achieved by transoral odontoidectomy.