45. Trajectory of change in mJOA score within one year following surgery for degenerative cervical myelopathy

• Published in: The spine journal 2019-09, Vol.19 (9), p.S22-S23
• Main Authors: Khan, Inamullah, Archer, Kristin R., Wanner, JP, Bydon, Mohamad, Pennings, Jacquelyn S., Sivaganesan, Ahilan, Devin, Clinton J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1529-9430; 1878-1632
• DOI: 10.1016/j.spinee.2019.05.058

Degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) is a progressive disease resulting from cervical cord compression. The natural progression of DCM is variable; some patients experience periods of stability, while others rapidly deteriorate following disease onset. The majority of these patients require surgical decompression to halt disease progression and improve functionality. The modified Japanese Orthopedic Association (mJOA) is a patient-reported questionnaire commonly used to grade symptoms and is a validated tool for assessment of postoperative improvement in the surgical management of cervical myelopathy. However, literature describing the natural history of recovery following surgical decompression is limited, especially in the postsurgical period of 3 to 12 months. The aim of the study is to assess the trajectory of mJOA improvement in the postsurgical period of 3 to 12 months in patients who underwent surgery for cervical myelopathy. This study is a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from the cervical module of a national spine registry, the Quality Outcomes Database (QOD). A total of 2,156 patients who underwent elective surgery for DCM and had complete 3- and 12-month follow-up data in the QOD registry were included in the study. The mJOA score was used to define severity of myelopathic symptoms in patients who underwent surgery for cervical myelopathy. Patients were divided into mild (≥14), moderate (9-13), or severe (