Skip to main content
Log in

Anterior migration of spinal cord after cervical corpectomy

  • Case Report
  • Published:
European Spine Journal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Posterior migration of spinal cord is a common complication of posterior cervical decompression, whereas anterior migration of spinal cord after anterior cervical decompression has not been reported previously. This report presents a case of anterior migration of spinal cord after cervical corpectomy. A 65-year-old male underwent a cervical corpectomy of the C4 and C5 for cervical spondylotic myelopathy. The postoperative MRI showed that spinal cord was decompressed. However, at 12 months postoperatively, the patient complained that improved gait aggravated again, and the MRI showed an anterior migration of the spinal cord at the level of the C4 and C5, and a compression of spinal cord at the level of caudal endplate of C3. Secondary surgery, laminaplasty of C3 and C4 was conducted. The postoperative MRI showed that the spinal canal increased at the C3 and C4 levels, and the spinal cord went through smoothly without sharp turning.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

References

  1. Bernhardt M, Hynes RA, Blume HW, White AA 3rd (1993) Cervical spondylotic myelopathy. J Bone Joint Surg Am 75:119–128

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Macdonald RL, Fehlings MG, Tator CH, Lozano A, Fleming JR, Gentili F, Bernstein M, Wallace MC, Tasker RR (1997) Multilevel anterior cervical corpectomy and fibular allograft fusion for cervical myelopathy. J Neurosurg 86:990–997

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Vaccaro AR, Falatyn SP, Scuderi GJ, Eismont FJ, McGuire RA, Singh K, Garfin SR (1998) Early failure of long segment anterior cervical plate fixation. J Spinal Disord 11:410–415

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Matz PG, Pritchard PR, Hadley MN (2007) Anterior cervical approach for the treatment of cervical myelopathy. Neurosurgery 60:S64–S70

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Daniels AH, Riew KD, Yoo JU, Ching A, Birchard KR, Kranenburg AJ, Hart RA (2008) Adverse events associated with anterior cervical spine surgery. J Am Acad Orthop Surg 16:729–738

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Fernyhough JC, White JI, LaRocca H (1991) Fusion rates in multilevel cervical spondylosis comparing allograft fibula with autograft fibula in 126 patients. Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 16:S561–S564

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Hillard VH, Apfelbaum RI (2006) Surgical management of cervical myelopathy: indications and techniques for multilevel cervical discectomy. Spine J 6:242S–251S

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Thongtrangan I, Balabhadra RS, Kim DH (2003) Management of strut graft failure in anterior cervical spine surgery. Neurosurg Focus 15:E4

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Paramore CG, Dickman CA, Sonntag VK (1996) Radiographic and clinical follow-up review of Caspar plates in 49 patients. J Neurosurg 84:957–961

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Adams CB, Logue V (1971) Studies in cervical spondylotic myelopathy. II. The movement and contour of the spine in relation to the neural complications of cervical spondylosis. Brain 94:568–586

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Batzdorf U, Batzdorff A (1988) Analysis of cervical spine curvature in patients with cervical spondylosis. Neurosurgery 22:827–836

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Alker G (1988) Neuroradiology of cervical spondylotic myelopathy. Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 13:850–853

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Cunningham MR, Hershman S, Bendo J (2010) Systematic review of cohort studies comparing surgical treatments for cervical spondylotic myelopathy. Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 35:537–543

    Google Scholar 

  14. Mummaneni PV, Kaiser MG, Matz PG, Anderson PA, Groff MW, Heary RF, Holly LT, Ryken TC, Choudhri TF, Vresilovic EJ, Resnick DK (2009) Cervical surgical techniques for the treatment of cervical spondylotic myelopathy. J Neurosurg Spine 11:130–141

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Matsuyama Y, Kawakami N, Mimatsu K (1995) Spinal cord expansion after decompression in cervical myelopathy. Investigation by computed tomography myelography and ultrasonography. Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 20:1657–1663

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Okada Y, Ikata T, Yamada H, Sakamoto R, Katoh S (1993) Magnetic resonance imaging study on the results of surgery for cervical compression myelopathy. Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 18:2024–2029

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Clements DH, O’Leary PF (1990) Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion. Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 15:1023–1025

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Apfelbaum RI, Kriskovich MD, Haller JR (2000) On the incidence, cause, and prevention of recurrent laryngeal nerve palsies during anterior cervical spine surgery. Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 25:2906–2912

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Tomita K, Kawahara N, Toribatake Y, Heller JG (1998) Expansive midline T-saw laminoplasty (modified spinous process-splitting) for the management of cervical myelopathy. Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 23:32–37

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Dai L, Ni B, Yuan W, Jia L (1998) Radiculopathy after laminectomy for cervical compression myelopathy. J Bone Joint Surg Br 80:846–849

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Hilibrand AS, Carlson GD, Palumbo MA, Jones PK, Bohlman HH (1999) Radiculopathy and myelopathy at segments adjacent to the site of a previous anterior cervical arthrodesis. J Bone Joint Surg Am 81:519–528

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Yonenobu K, Fuji T, Ono K, Okada K, Yamamoto T, Harada N (1985) Choice of surgical treatment for multisegmental cervical spondylotic myelopathy. Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 10:710–716

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Hosono N, Yonenobu K, Ono K (1996) Neck and shoulder pain after laminoplasty. A noticeable complication. Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 21:1969–1973

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Kaptain GJ, Simmons NE, Replogle RE, Pobereskin L (2000) Incidence and outcome of kyphotic deformity following laminectomy for cervical spondylotic myelopathy. J Neurosurg 93:199–204

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Baba H, Uchida K, Maezawa Y, Furusawa N, Azuchi M, Imura S (1996) Lordotic alignment and posterior migration of the spinal cord following en bloc open-door laminoplasty for cervical myelopathy: a magnetic resonance imaging study. J Neurol 243:626–632

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Yone K, Sakou T, Yanase M, Ijiri K (1992) Preoperative and postoperative magnetic resonance image evaluations of the spinal cord in cervical myelopathy. Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 17:S388–S392

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Conflict of interest

None of the authors has any potential conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yu Qian.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Qian, Y., Xu, G., Zhang, J. et al. Anterior migration of spinal cord after cervical corpectomy. Eur Spine J 21 (Suppl 4), 396–399 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-011-1843-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-011-1843-1

Keywords

Navigation