Characteristics of advanced cervical spondylotic myelopathy patients (N=43).
| Variable | Nurick 4 (n=21) | Nurick 5 (n=22) | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (mean-years) | 59.24 | 64.32 | 0.130 |
| Surgical approach | |||
| Anterior (n, %) | 14 (66.7) | 12 (54.5) | |
| Posterior (n, %) | 7 (33.3) | 10 (45.5) | 0.416 |
| Average BMI (kg) | 27.61 | 22.66 | 0.584 |
| Smoking (n, %) | 14 (66.7) | 5 (22.7) | 0.004 |
| Comorbidity* (n, %) | 16 (76.2) | 19 (86.4) | 0.322 |
| Mean duration of difficulty in walking prior to surgery (months) | 6.71 | 4.23 | 0.008 |
| Walking independently after surgery** (n, %) | 18 (85.7) | 8 (36.4) | 0.001 |
| Preoperative MRI features7-13: | |||
| T1WI signal change (n, %) | 6 (28.6) | 11 (50.0) | 0.151 |
| Type of T2WI signal intensity: (n, %) | |||
| Type 0 | 2 (9.5) | 0 (0.0) | 0.233 |
| Type 1 | 13 (61.9) | 16 (72.7) | 0.449 |
| Type 2 | 6 (28.6) | 6 (27.3) | 0.924 |
| Average length of signal change on T2WI (mm) | 8.55 | 18.00 | 0.005 |
| Average AP spinal canal size (mm)*** | 7.238 | 6.955 | 0.152 |
↵* Comorbidity defined as a disease or condition that coexists with a primary disease but also stands on its own as a specific disease (for example, hypertension, diabetes mellitus),
↵** Walking independently after surgery: Nurick grade 0-3.
↵*** AP - Antero-posterior spinal canal size was calculated at the narrowest point of the space available for the cord at the site of maximum compression (mm).