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Posterior Decompression for Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy: Laminectomy, Laminectomy and Fusion or Laminoplasty

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Abstract

Degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) represents a spectrum of chronic atraumatic spinal cord injury that occurs secondary to compression from disc spondylosis, hypertrophy of the ligamentum flavum, or ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL), etc. [1]. While surgical management has been shown to arrest the progressive deterioration and provide neurological and functional improvement, the selection of surgical procedures pertaining to specific cases is subject to much controversy [2–4]. While the subject of anterior versus posterior spinal decompression has been repeatedly debated amongst the experts, this chapter will focus on posterior surgical options and anterior alternatives will not be further elaborated.

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Jiang, F., Katoh, H., Yokota, K., Fehlings, M.G. (2019). Posterior Decompression for Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy: Laminectomy, Laminectomy and Fusion or Laminoplasty. In: Bartels, R., Rovers, M., Westert, G. (eds) Evidence for Neurosurgery. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-16323-5_11

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