Surgical and Functional Outcomes of Expansive Open-Door Laminoplasty for Patients With Mild Kyphotic Cervical Alignment

Objective To evaluate the cervical dynamics, neurological function, pain, and quality of life in patients with mild cervical kyphotic alignment who underwent expansive unilateral open-door laminoplasty (ELAP). Methods In this retrospective single-center study, we reviewed the surgical outcomes of 80 patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy who were followed for at least 2 years. The patients were categorized into the preoperative kyphotic group (C2–7 angle < 0°) and nonkyphotic group (angle ≥ 0°). We compared clinical information, radiographic parameters, Japanese Orthopaedic Association Cervical Myelopathy Evaluation Questionnaire (JOACMEQ) scores, and cervical Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scores between the groups. Results The kyphotic and nonkyphotic groups comprised 17 and 63 patients, respectively. The preoperative C2–7 angles were -3.7° in the kyphotic group and 15.4° in the nonkyphotic group (p