PURPOSE: Laminectomy is generally the treatment of choice for removal of spinal tumors. However, it has been shown that laminectomy may cause instability due to damage of posterior elements of the spinal column, which may induce subsequent kyphosis in the future. Therefore, to reduce the risk of deformity and spinal instability after laminectomy, hemilaminectomy has been used. However, the medium to long-term effects of hemilaminectomy on spinal sagittal alignment is not well understood. The present study was performed to evaluate the clinical outcomes, including spinal sagittal alignment of patients, associated with spinal cord tumors treated by surgical excision using hemilaminectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty hemilaminectomy operations at our institute for extramedullary or extradural spinal cord tumors in 19 patients were evaluated retrospectively with an average follow-up of 85 months (range, 40-131 months). Neurological condition was evaluated using the improvement ratio of the Japanese Orthopaedic Association Score (JOA score) for cervical, thoracic myelopathy, or back pain, and sagittal alignment by sagittal Cobb angle of the hemilaminectomied area. RESULTS: The mean improvement ratio of neurological results was 56.7% in the cervical spine (p < 0.01, n = 10), 26.3% in the thoracic spine (not significant, n = 5), and 48.6% in the lumbar spine (NS, n = 5). The sagittal Cobb angle was 4.3 +/- 18.0degrees in the preoperative period and 5.4 +/- 17.6degrees at the latest follow-up, indicating no significant deterioration. CONCLUSION: Hemilaminectomy is useful for extramedullary or extradural spinal cord tumors in providing fair neurological status and restoration of spinal sagittal alignment in medium to long-term follow-up.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Laminectomy/*methods ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Cord Neoplasms/*surgery ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical outcomes of cantilever transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (c-TLIF) for upper lumbar diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventeen patients (11 males, 6 females; mean +/- SD age: 62 +/- 14 years) who underwent c-TLIF using kidney type spacers between 2002 and 2008 were retrospectively evaluated, at a mean follow-up of 44.1 +/- 12.3 months (2 year minimum). The primary diseases studied were disc herniation, ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL), degenerative scoliosis, lumbar spinal canal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, and degeneration of adjacent disc after operation. Fusion areas were L1-L2 (5 patients), L2-L3 (9 patients), L1-L3 (1 patient), and L2-L4 (2 patients). Operation time, blood loss, complications, Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score for back pain, bone union, sagittal alignment change of fusion level, and degeneration of adjacent disc were evaluated. RESULTS: JOA score improved significantly after surgery, from 12 +/- 2 to 23 +/- 3 points (p < 0.01). We also observed significant improvement in sagittal alignment of the fusion levels, from - 1.0 +/- 7.4 to 5.2 +/- 6.1 degrees (p < 0.01). Bony fusion was obtained in all cases. One patient experienced a subcutaneous infection, which was cured by irrigation. At the final follow-up, three patients showed degenerative changes in adjacent discs, and one showed corrective loss of fusion level. CONCLUSION: c-TLIF is a safe procedure, providing satisfactory results for patients with upper lumbar degenerative diseases.
Adult ; Aged ; Back Pain/surgery ; Blood Loss, Surgical ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disk Displacement/surgery ; Lumbar Vertebrae/*surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Scoliosis/surgery ; Spinal Diseases/*surgery ; Spinal Fusion/adverse effects/*methods ; Spinal Stenosis/surgery ; Spondylolisthesis/surgery ; Time Factors ; Treatment Outcome