Anterior decompressive microsurgery and osteosynthesis for the treatment of multi-segmental cervical spondylosis. Pathophysiological considerations, surgical indication, results and complications: a survey.

Surgical treatment of cervical myelopathy due to multi-segmental cervical spondylosis (MSCS) is currently performed by either anterior or posterior approaches. Considering the complex nature of the underlying disease involving more than one cervical segment, as well as the patho-biomechanical features of the spondylotic cervical spine, adequate decompression of the spinal cord and correction of hypermobility should be achieved by surgery in one stage, in order to achieve positive immediate and long-term benefit for the patient suffering from progressive myelopathy. Recently, anterior decompressive surgery, consisting of single or multi-level vertebrectomy, microsurgical epidural decompression and osteo-synthesis has emerged as an aggressive therapeutic approach for the treatment of MSCS. Based on the experience of a series of 92 patients with progressive cervical myelopathy due to MSCS operated on using the above described combined techniques, as well as the results from a limited number of clinical studies of anterior decompressive surgery in MSCS patients from the literature, the pathophysiological considerations, surgical indications, surgical technique as well as clinical results and complications of anterior surgery in patients with MSCS are reviewed and discussed.