A microsurgical anterior osteophytectomy for cervical spondylotic myelopathy.

Cervical spondylotic myelopathy was treated by a microsurgical anterior approach removing osteophytes completely. Follow-up results of 43 patients showed that 39 patients (91%) exhibited overall improvements of either 1, 2, or 3 grades on Nurick's grading. Four (9%) remained unchanged. Even severely affected myelopathic patients exhibited neurologic recovery. Cases that also had narrow cervical canals were treated by the same anterior osteophytectomy, and they showed similar responses. Six out of ten patients who had osteophytectomies without fusion developed neck and arm pain postoperatively, although the presence or absence of an interbody fusion did not affect the postoperative recovery from myelopathy.