Efficacy of Conical Laminoplasty After Thoracic Laminectomy.

Abstract

Retrospective clinical study. To evaluate the results of a new method of laminoplasty, referred to as conical laminoplasty. In surgery for a thoracic intradural tumor, laminectomy is frequently used for tumor resection. However, laminoplasty may be more effective due to prevention of damage to the posterior elements. This method can be performed as recapping T-saw laminoplasty and conical laminoplasty which we refer. After en bloc laminectomy, conical laminoplasty (group C; 21 cases) or recapping T-saw laminoplasty (group R; 17 cases) was performed for patients with thoracic spinal cord tumors. If neither was possible, laminectomy (group L; 16 cases) was performed. The number of laminae removed and Japanese Orthopedic Association recovery rates did not differ significantly among the 3 groups. Sagittal kyphosis significantly worsened at final follow-up in group L, but did not change significantly in groups C and R. Conical laminoplasty is particularly useful in a case in which T-saw laminoplasty cannot be performed due to tumor expansion in the canal and ossification of the ligamentum flavum. Conical laminoplasty also preserves the posterior elements, which reduces the risk of worsening of kyphosis postoperatively.