What Is the Surgical Treatment for Cervical Spinal Stenosis?
Clinical scenario
Cervical spinal stenosis results in spinal cord compression, producing myelopathy and neurological deficits. The compressive pathology — osteophytes or disc tissue, congenital canal narrowing, kyphotic alignment, and the number of segments involved — determines which operative strategy is appropriate.
Treatment goals
The objectives are to arrest the progression of myelopathy and to improve neurological deficits. Neurological recovery is most pronounced in the early postoperative period.
Treatment approach
Treatment is surgical, directed at decompression of the spinal cord and neutralisation of any instability; the operative strategy is selected according to the anatomical pattern, sagittal profile, and segmental extent of the pathology — multiple distinct approaches are available.
The full evidence-based regimen — including approach selection criteria, specific procedure options, and clinical sequencing — is available in the complete protocol.
References
DOI: 10.3238/arztebl.2008.0366
- The objective of surgery is the decompression of the spinal cord and the neutralization of any instability.
- Surgical treatment reliably arrests the progression of myelopathy and often even improves the neurological deficits.
- Neurological recovery is most marked within the first three months after an operation.
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