Cervical Laminoplasty
Treating Compression with a Cervical Laminoplasty
The cervical laminoplasty procedure is a decompression procedure that helps reduce spinal stenosis – or the narrowing of the spinal canal, causing compression on the nerves or the spinal column itself.
When spinal stenosis and spinal compression is left untreated, it will eventually lead to radiculopathy of the cervical spine – causing pain, weakness, numbness and other issues in the arms and legs.
It can also lead to permanent damage to the spinal cord known as myelopathy – causing pain, weakness, numbness and even permanent loss of function or nerve damage.
Some of the more common conditions treated by Cervical Laminoplasty include:
- Cervical Spinal Stenosis
- Spondylotic Myelopathy
- Ossification of the posterior Longitudinal Ligament
Benefits of the Laminoplasty
When an individual is suffering from compression conditions, surgery is often necessary. The laminoplasty is often compared to the laminectomy, another decompression procedure. However, in the laminectomy procedure, rather than creating a “hinged sunroof” for the lamina, it is completely removed. The laminoplasty offers a few important benefits over the laminectomy, including:
- Leaves more bone and ligament tissue intact.
- Maintains balance of the spine.
- Provides a protective layer that prevents scar tissue from developing following surgery.
However, it is important to note that, despite these benefits, the laminectomy procedure does offer additional decompression, as it allows the spinal column the maximum amount of space. For those patients who are experiencing more compression, the laminectomy may be necessary.
