Surgical treatment for cervical myelopathy in patients aged > 80 years.

The surgical outcomes of 13 patients who were diagnosed with cervical spondylotic myelopathy were reviewed retrospectively. Mean patient age at surgery was 83 years. The severity of cervical spondylotic myelopathy was evaluated using the Japanese Orthopaedic Association score. Daily activities were evaluated using the Barthel index. The preoperative JOA score and Barthel index were 7.8 and 63.5, respectively. The mean JOA score and Barthel index maximum recovery rate were 35% and 24%, respectively. The results of this study imply that surgery for patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy aged > 80 years is warranted.