Comparing clinical outcomes of using 3 versus 5 titanium miniplates in laminoplasty for multilevel cervical myelopathy: A prospective cohort study

Abstract

Study design: Prospective cohort study. Objective: The aim of this study was to compare clinical outcomes, radiographic changes, and complications of cervical expansive open-door laminoplasty（EOLP）for cervical multilevel myelopathy, using either 3 or 5 titanium miniplates. Summary of background data: Cervical EOLP is a common and effective operation for cervical myelopathy. Standard procedures utilise either 3 or 5 titanium miniplates; however, no definite conclusion has been given yet on the relationship between clinical outcomes and the quantity of titanium miniplates. Method: We performed a prospective study of 92 patients who underwent EOLP with either 3 (n ​= ​34) or 5 (n ​= ​58) titanium miniplates at our institution from March 2012 to June 2016. Clinical and radiologic outcomes and complications were compared. Result: Compared with the 5 titanium miniplates group, the 3 titanium miniplates group had shorter operation times and less blood loss (P ​ ​0.05). Conclusion: Cervical EOLP using 3 titanium miniplates is associated with shorter operation times, less blood loss, and lower operation costs compared with using 5 titanium miniplates. The translational potential of this article: Expansive open-door laminoplasty (EOLP) is an effective procedure for treating multilevel cervical spondylotic myelopathy. The present study indicated that 3 titanium miniplates could achieve similar clinical outcomes but with shorter operation times, less blood loss and operation costs compared with 5 titanium miniplates. These findings may provide some references for clinical applications. Keywords: Cervical myelopathy, Clinical outcomes, Laminoplasty, Prospective study, Titanium miniplates