Long-term quality of life after posterior cervical foraminotomy for radiculopathy.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:

Cervical radiculopathy may cause symptoms and loss of function that can lead to a significant reduction in health related quality of life (HRQOL). As part of a comprehensive review of long-term outcomes, we examined HRQOL in a large cohort of patients undergoing posterior cervical foraminotomy (FOR) for radiculopathy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS:

338 patients who underwent FOR between 1990 and 2009 participated in a telephone interview designed to measure symptomatic and functional improvements following surgery. We also administered the EQ-5D, a standardized tool for assessing HRQOL. We analyzed this data for associations between patient and treatment characteristics, improvements in symptoms and function, and HRQOL as measured by the EQ-5D.

RESULTS:

Mean follow-up was 10.0 years. The average EQ-5D at follow-up was 0.81±0.18, and improvements in pain, weakness and function as well as ability to return to work correlated with improved EQ-5D score (p<0.0001). There was no correlation between length of follow-up and EQ-5D score (p=0.980). Additionally, there was no difference between mean EQ-5D score for soft disc versus osteophyte pathology (0.84 versus 0.81, p=0.21).

CONCLUSION:

These data provide evidence that FOR for cervical radiculopathy is associated with improved HRQOL at long-term follow-up. The lack of correlation between length of follow-up and HRQOL suggests that FOR is a durable treatment option. Moreover, FOR is associated with improved HRQOL whether radiculopathy is due to soft disc or osteophyte pathology.

• Authors: Ryan W Faught, Ephraim W Church, Casey H Halpern, Usha Balmuri, Mark A Attiah, Sherman C Stein, Stephen J Dante, William C Welch, Frederick A Simeone
• Journal: Clinical neurology and neurosurgery (Clin Neurol Neurosurg) Vol. 142 Pg. 22-25 (Mar 2016) ISSN: 1872-6968 [Electronic] Netherlands
• PMID: 26802616 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Cervical Vertebrae (surgery)
• Disability Evaluation
• Diskectomy (methods)
• Female
• Follow-Up Studies
• Foraminotomy (methods)
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Pain (physiopathology)
• Pain Measurement (methods)
• Quality of Life
• Radiculopathy (surgery)
• Time
• Treatment Outcome