Multiple cervical arcocristectomies for the treatment of cervical spondylotic myelopathy: surgical technique and results

Object. In the surgical treatment of cervical spondylotic myelopathy, a posterior approach is recommended for patients with multilevel cervical stenosis. In this article the authors describe the multiple cervical arcocristectomy technique and results. Methods. This surgical technique involves the removal of the upper half of the cervical laminae and was performed in 17 patients between 1997 and 2005 with a mean follow-up of 55 months. Results. Sixteen patients showed immediate improvement in myelopathic symptoms, and all of them had long-term improvement with no complications and a relatively short surgical time. Conclusions. Multiple cervical arcocristectomy is a surgical technique that offers physiological and biomechanical advantages in the treatment of the spondylotic myelopathy.