Neurosurgery (Spine)

Objective: The impact of spinal alignment on neurological recovery among myelopathy patients has not been thoroughly investigated. This study evaluated the impact of sagittal cervical alignment on neurological recovery in a prospective surgical series of myelopathy patients. Methods: Prospective data was analyzed from surgical CSM patients at a tertiary-care neurosurgical centre. Demographic data and clinical preoperative and postoperative measures of neurological disability (mJOA, Nurick, NDI scores) were analyzed for dependency on cervical spine imaging parameters. Results: Among 124 CSM patients, 34% exhibited kyphotic alignment. Surgical intervention was more frequently anterior or combined anterior/posterior among this group than those with preserved lordosis. Most patients exhibited postoperative neurological improvement for myelopathy severity, however the extent of this improvement was dichotomous based on preoperative sagittal alignment. Improvement was greater among patients with preoperative lordosis (ΔmJOA of 3.1) than those with preoperative kyphosis (ΔmJOA of 1.4, p=0.02). Surgical correction of spinal malalignment did not provide for heightened neurological recovery, although whether it protects against symptomatic adjacent segment disease is unclear. Conclusion: Most CSM patients showed postoperative neurological improvement. Patients with preoperative lordotic alignment exhibited greater improvement than those with preoperative kyphotic alignment. Neither correction of the spinal alignment nor surgical approach in this series specifically affected the extent of neurological recovery.