Functional recovery after laminoplasty versus staged anterior-posterior fusion for multilevel cervical ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) causes progressive narrowing of the cervical canal and neurological deficits. Cervical laminoplasty (LP) and staged anterior-posterior fusion (APF) are widely used, but their comparative outcomes remain controversial. This study compared clinical and radiographic outcomes of LP and APF for multilevel OPLL, with analysis according to OPLL subtype.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed 217 patients with cervical OPLL who underwent LP (n = 135) or APF (n = 82) between 2014 and 2023. All patients had ≥ 3 operated levels and ≥ 1-year follow-up. Clinical outcomes included Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score, Neck Disability Index (NDI), visual analog scale (VAS) for pain, and subjective improvement rate (

SUBMITTER: Shin JW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12751572 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature