Treatment of Spinal Conditions in Young Adults

Spinal stenosis of the cervical spine, or cervical spondylotic myelopathy, is a debilitating, typically progressive condition, and surgery has been shown to produce better outcomes than conservative measures do. Surgical options include single-level or multilevel anterior cervical discectomy with fusion, single-level or multilevel anterior corpectomy with fusion, posterior laminectomy with or without fusion, and posterior laminoplasty. The location of the pathology and geometry of the spinal canal, in addition to the risks and benefits of each surgical approach, determine the procedure chosen. In the case of younger patients, laminoplasty is an excellent option over laminectomy. We review the indications, surgical technique, and outcomes of cervical laminoplasty.