With diabetes becoming more common, and one of the most frequent comorbidities in patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy, a group of researchers sought to find risk factors for poor outcomes in this patient population and published their findings in The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
There were 105 consecutive patients with diabetes who underwent double-door laminoplasty for cervical spondylotic myelopathy included in the study. The average age was 68.2 years old and the patients were followed for at least 12 months after surgery.
The researchers found these risk factors for poor outcomes, defined as a postoperative recovery rate of less than 50 percent:
1. Patients who were 65 years or older.
2. Cervical spondylotic myelopathy symptoms for 12 months or more.
3. Glycated hemoglobin levels at 6.5 percent or above.
4. Patients who had diabetes for 10 years or more.
5. Fasting blood glucose levels did not impact treatment.