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Spinal cord evoked potentials in cervical and thoracic myelopathy

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Summary

We have studied 70 patients who underwent surgical decompression with or without fusion for cervical and/or thoracic myelopathy to assess the value of spinal cord evoked potentials (SCEP). The 70 patients included 42 with cervical spondylotic myelopathy, 10 with ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament of the cervical spine and 18 with thoracic ligamentous ossification. Abnormal SCEP occurred in 88% of the patients with cervical myelopathy. Early recovery in intra- and postoperative SCEP was associated with a better result. The severity of myelopathy correlated significantly with an abnormal SCEP in thoracic myelopathy. SCEP may reflect the severity of disease, and early recovery of intraoperative SCEP may also predict neurological improvement.

Résumé

Nous avons étudié 70 patients ayant eu une décompression chirurgicale avec ou sans fusion pour une myélopathie cervicale et/ou dorsale afin d'évaluer l'utilité des potentiels évoqués de la moelle épinière (PEME). Quarante-deux patients avaient une myélopathie spondylosique cervicale, 10 une ossification du ligament longitudinal postérieur cervical et 18 une ossification ligamentaire dorsale. Des PEME anormaux ont été observés chez 88% des malades présentant une myélopathie cervicale. Le rétablissement rapide des PEME per et post-opératoires a été suivi des résultats les meilleurs. Dans la myélopathie dorsale une corrélation significative a été mise en évidence entre la gravité de la myélopathie et les PEME anormaux. Les PEME pourraient refléter la gravité de la maladie et une récupération per-opératoire rapide des PEME pourrait également faire prévoir une amélioration neurologique.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Fukui Medical School, Shimoaizuki 23, Matsuoka, 910-11, Fukui, Japan

    H. Baba & S. Imura

  2. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kanazawa University School of Medicine, Takaramachi 13-1, 920, Kanazawa, Japan

    N. Kawahara & K. Tomita

Authors
  1. H. Baba
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  2. N. Kawahara
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  3. K. Tomita
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  4. S. Imura
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Baba, H., Kawahara, N., Tomita, K. et al. Spinal cord evoked potentials in cervical and thoracic myelopathy. International Orthopaedics 17, 82–86 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00183547

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