Extensor muscle-preserving laminectomy in treating multilevel cervical spondylotic myelopathy compared with laminoplasty.

Background: Laminectomy and laminoplasty are popularly used in posterior cervical spine surgery but still have involved complications. We aimed to compare the clinical outcomes of microscope-assisted extensor muscle-preserving laminectomy (MA-EMPL) and open-door laminoplasty (ODLP) in treating multilevel cervical spondylotic myelopathy (MCSM).

Methods: A prospective study was designed to enroll twenty patients with MCSM underwent MA-EMPL, and recruit twenty-four patients with MCSM received ODLP (control).