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Factors Predictive of Operative Outcome

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Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy and Radiculopathy

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Abstract

The natural history of degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) is usually one of a slow, stepwise decline, with a minority of patients experiencing periods of quiescence or even subtle clinical improvement with nonoperative treatment over time [1]. Surgical intervention, on average, has convincingly shown to improve neurological outcomes, functional status, and quality of life in DCM patients, regardless of the severity of preoperative functional status [2]. As a result, surgery remains the preferred treatment approach for this patient population. That said, at the individual patient level, postoperative outcomes continue to be variable. As such, surgeons should be aware of the factors which predict operative outcome; such knowledge is essential to aid preoperative communications and to manage patient expectations for recovery in the short and long term.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Neurosurgery, St. Michael’s Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Jerry Ku & Jefferson R. Wilson

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  1. Jerry Ku
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  2. Jefferson R. Wilson
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Correspondence to Jefferson R. Wilson .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA

    Michael G. Kaiser

  2. Atlanta Brain and Spine Care, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Regis W. Haid

  3. Duke University Health System, Durham, NC, USA

    Christopher I. Shaffrey

  4. Toronto Western Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Michael G. Fehlings

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Ku, J., Wilson, J.R. (2019). Factors Predictive of Operative Outcome. In: Kaiser, M., Haid, R., Shaffrey, C., Fehlings, M. (eds) Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy and Radiculopathy . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-97952-6_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-97952-6_15

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-97951-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-97952-6

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