Advertisement
Clinical study| Volume 57, P74-78, November 2018

Perioperative factors associated with favorable outcomes of posterior decompression and instrumented fusion for cervical ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament: A retrospective multicenter study

Published:August 23, 2018DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jocn.2018.08.033

      Highlights

      • Perioperative factors associated with favorable outcomes of PDF for cervical OPLL.
      • OPLL patients with preoperative lordotic alignment can have favorable outcomes.
      • It is important to maintain the cervical lordotic alignment postoperatively.

      Abstract

      Purpose

      Posterior decompression with instrumented fusion (PDF) is a suitable surgical treatment for K-line (−)-type cervical ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL). However, the adequate indications of PDF have not been clarified yet. The purpose of this study was to investigate the surgical results of PDF and perioperative factors that influence the surgical outcome, and to clarify the adequate indications of PDF.

      Methods

      Twenty-seven patients (21 men and 6 women, mean age: 61.4 years) who were diagnosed with a K-line (−)-type OPLL that was treated with PDF were included in this study. We evaluated these patients clinically and radiologically to investigate the outcomes of PDF and perioperative factors that influence improvements in the Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score.

      Results

      The mean recovery rate of JOA score at the final follow-up examination was 53.3%. In the statistical analysis, the preoperative C2-C7 angle and the C2-C7 angle immediately postoperatively significantly predicted the surgical outcome. The C2-C7 angle immediately postoperatively was the only most important predictor. Using a receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, we found that the cutoff value of the C2-C7 angle immediately postoperatively for good outcomes (recovery rate of JOA score ≥50%) was −2.0°.

      Conclusions

      PDF for K-line (−)-type OPLL patients with preoperative lordotic alignment can be expected to have favorable outcomes, which is the adequate indication for PDF. Since the C2-C7 angle immediately postoperatively was the most important predictor, the physician should pay attention to maintain the cervical lordotic alignment to enhance the surgical outcomes in surgical planning.

      Keywords

      To read this article in full you will need to make a payment

      Purchase one-time access:

      Academic & Personal: 24 hour online accessCorporate R&D Professionals: 24 hour online access
      One-time access price info
      • For academic or personal research use, select 'Academic and Personal'
      • For corporate R&D use, select 'Corporate R&D Professionals'

      Subscribe:

      Subscribe to Journal of Clinical Neuroscience
      Already a print subscriber? Claim online access
      Already an online subscriber? Sign in
      Institutional Access: Sign in to ScienceDirect

      References

        • Key C.A.
        On paraplegia depending on the ligaments of the spine.
        Guy’s Hosp Rep. 1838; 3: 17-34
        • Tsukimoto H.
        On an autopsied case of compression myelopathy with a callus formation in the cervical spinal canal.
        Nihon Geka Hokan. 1960; 29 (in Japanese): 1003-1007
        • Iwasaki M.
        • Okuda S.
        • Miyauchi A.
        • Sakaura H.
        • Mukai Y.
        • Yonenobu K.
        • et al.
        Surgical strategy for cervical myelopathy due to ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament: part 1: clinical results and limitations of laminoplasty.
        Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2007; 32: 647-653https://doi.org/10.1097/01.brs.0000257560.91147.86
        • Matsunaga S.
        • Nakamura K.
        • Seichi A.
        • Yokoyama T.
        • Toh S.
        • Ichimura K.
        • Satomi K.
        • et al.
        Radiographic predictors for the development of myelopathy in patients with ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament: a multicenter cohort study.
        Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2008; 33: 2648-2650https://doi.org/10.1097/BRS.0b013e31817f988c
        • Iwasaki M.
        • Kawaguchi Y.
        • Kimura T.
        • Yonenobu K.
        Long-term results of expansive laminoplasty for ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament of the cervical spine: more than 10 years follow up.
        J Neurosurg. 2002; 96: 180-189
        • Matsumoto M.
        • Chiba K.
        • Toyama Y.
        Surgical treatment of ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament and its outcomes: posterior surgery by laminoplasty.
        Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2002; 37: 303-308https://doi.org/10.1097/BRS.0b013e318239cca0
        • Yamazaki A.
        • Homma T.
        • Uchiyama S.
        • Okumura H.
        Morphologic limitations of posterior decompression by midsagittal splitting method for myelopathy caused by ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament in the cervical spine.
        Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 1999; 24: 32-34
        • Fujiyoshi T.
        • Yamazaki M.
        • Kawabe J.
        • Konishi H.
        A new concept for making decisions regarding the surgical approach for cervical ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament: the K-line.
        Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2008; 33: 990-993https://doi.org/10.1097/BRS.0b013e318188b300
        • Chen Y.
        • Guo Y.
        • Lu X.
        • Chen D.
        • Song D.
        • Shi J.
        • Yuan W.
        Surgical strategy for multilevel severe ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament in the cervical spine.
        J Spinal Disord Tech. 2011; 24: 24-30https://doi.org/10.1097/BSD.0b013e3181c7e91e
        • Fujimori T.
        • Iwasaki M.
        • Okuda S.
        • Takenaka S.
        • Kashii M.
        • Kaito T.
        • et al.
        Long-term results of cervical myelopathy due to ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament with an occupying ratio of 60% or more.
        Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2014; 39: 58-67https://doi.org/10.1097/BRS.0000000000000054
        • Koda M.
        • Mochizuki M.
        • Konishi H.
        • Aiba A.
        • Kadota R.
        • Inada T.
        • et al.
        Comparison of clinical outcomes between laminoplasty, posterior decompression with instrumented fusion, and anterior decompression with fusion for K-line (–) cervical ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament.
        Eur Spine J. 2016; 25: 2294-2301https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-016-4555-8
        • Fragen K.M.
        • Cox J.B.
        • Hoh D.J.
        Does ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament progress after laminoplasty? Radiographic and clinical evidence of ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament lesion growth and the risk factors for late neurologic deterioration.
        J Neurosurg Spine. 2012; 17: 512-524https://doi.org/10.3171/2012.9.SPINE12548
        • Investigation Committee on OPLL of the Japanese Ministry of Public Health and Welfare
        The ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament of the spine (OPLL).
        Nihon Seikeigeka Gakkai Zasshi. 1981; 55 (in Japanese): 425-440
        • Hirabayashi K.
        • Miyakawa J.
        • Satomi K.
        • Wakano K.
        Operative results and postoperative progression of ossification among patients with ossification of cervical posterior longitudinal ligament.
        Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 1981; 6: 354-364
        • Jayakumar P.N.
        • Kolluri V.R.
        • Vasudev M.K.
        • Srikanth S.G.
        Ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament of the cervical spine in Asian Indians: a multiracial comparison.
        Clin Neurol Neurosurg. 1996; 98: 142-148https://doi.org/10.1016/0303-8467(96)00004-2
        • Kimura A.
        • Seichi A.
        • Hoshino Y.
        • Yamazaki M.
        • Mochizuki M.
        • Aiba A.
        • et al.
        Perioperative complications of anterior cervical decompression with fusion in patients with ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament: a retrospective, multi-institutional study.
        J Orthop Sci. 2012; 17: 667-672https://doi.org/10.1007/s00776-012-0271-3
        • Katsumi K.
        • Izumi T.
        • Ito T.
        • Hirano T.
        • Watanabe K.
        • Ohashi M.
        Posterior instrumented fusion suppresses the progression of ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament: a comparison of laminoplasty with and without instrumented fusion by 3-dimensional analysis.
        Eur Spine J. 2016; 25: 1634-1640https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-015-4328-9
        • Denaro V.
        • Longo U.G.
        • Berton A.
        • Salvatore G.
        • Denaro L.
        Favourable outcome of posterior decompression and stabilization in lordosis for cervical spondylotic myelopathy: the spinal cord “back shift” concept.
        Eur Spine J. 2015; 24 (10.1007/s00586-015-4298-y): 826-831
        • Yoshii T.
        • Sakai K.
        • Hirai T.
        • Yamada T.
        • Inose H.
        • Kato T.
        • et al.
        Anterior decompression with fusion versus posterior decompression with fusion for massive cervical ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament with a ≥50% canal occupying ratio: a multicenter retrospective study.
        Spine J. 2016; 16: 1351-1357https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spinee.2016.07.532
        • Nakashima H.
        • Imagama S.
        • Yukawa Y.
        • Kanemura T.
        • Kamiya M.
        • Yanase M.
        • et al.
        Multivariate analysis of C-5 palsy incidence after cervical posterior fusion with instrumentation.
        J Neurosurg Spine. 2012; 17: 103-110https://doi.org/10.3171/2012.4.SPINE11255