Unilateral open-door laminoplasty alone with and without foraminoplasty for the treatment of mixed cervical spondylosis
Yong-an Ren1*
, Yin-xiao Peng2*, Cong-jun Ding1, Ying Yang1, Rong-hui Tang1, Ya-li Kang1
1Department of Orthopaedics, Xi Chang People’s Hospital, Xichang, China
2Department of Orthopaedics, The Third People’s Hospital of Chengdu, Chengdu, China
Keywords: C5 nerve root palsy, foraminoplasty, mixed cervical spondylosis, multilevel degenerative cervical myelopathy, unilateral open-door laminoplasty.
Abstract
Objectives: This study aims to compare the clinical outcomes of unilateral open-door laminoplasty with adjunctive foraminoplasty in the management of mixed cervical spondylosis.
Patients and methods: Between January 2016 and January 2024, a total of 60 patients (36 males, 24 females; mean age: 71.8 ± 9.9 years; range, 52 to 92 years) who were diagnosed with mixed cervical spondylosis and underwent unilateral open-door laminoplasty were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into two groups: Group A (n = 30) received laminoplasty alone and Group B (n = 30) underwent laminoplasty combined with foraminoplasty. Demographic data, perioperative outcomes, clinical efficacy, and complication rates were compared between the two groups.
Results: Group A showed significantly shorter operative time and reduced intraoperative blood loss compared to Group B (p < 0.001). Both groups exhibited significant improvements over time in Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores for neck and upper limb pain (p < 0.05) and Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scores (p < 0.05). At the final follow-up, Group B demonstrated superior JOA scores and lower VAS scores for both neck and upper limb pain relative to Group A (p < 0.05). The incidence of postoperative C5 nerve root palsy and persistent upper limb radicular pain was significantly higher in Group A than in Group B (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: For patients with mixed cervical spondylosis, combining unilateral open-door laminoplasty with foraminoplasty provides effective concurrent decompression of the spinal cord and nerve roots, resulting in a significant symptomatic improvement in both myelopathic and radicular manifestations with a reduced risk of certain postoperative neurological complications.
* These authors contributed equally to this work.
Citation: Ren YA, Peng YX, Ding CJ, Yang Y, Tang RH, Kang YL. Unilateral open-door laminoplasty alone with and without foraminoplasty for the treatment of mixed cervical spondylosis. Jt Dis Relat Surg 2026;37(2):299-305. doi: 10.52312/jdrs.2026.2583.