Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy Study

The purpose of the CSM-S study is to determine the optimal surgical approach for patients with multi-level cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). There are no established guidelines for the management of patients with CSM, which represents the most common cause of spinal cord injury and dysfunction in the US and in the world.

Objectives

The specific aims of the CSM-S study are to test the following hypotheses:

• Ventral surgery is associated with a superior Short Form-36 physical component Score (SF_36 PCS) outcome at one year follow-up compared to dorsal approaches and both ventral and dorsal surgeries improve symptoms of spinal cord dysfunction when measured using the modified Japanese Orthopedic Association Score (mJOA).
• Health resource utilizations for ventral surgery, dorsal fusion and laminoplasty surgery are different.
• Cervical sagittal balance post-operatively is a significant predictor of SF-36 PCS outcome.

Status

This study is ongoing and final data collection took place in September 2017 for the primary outcome measure. It is expected to conclude in September 2021.

Support

The study’s principal investigator is Zoher Ghogawala, MD, FAANS.

For questions about the CSM-S study, contact NPA.