Developing Peri-Operative Rehabilitation in Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy [AO Spine RECODE-DCM Research Priority Number 6]: An Unexplored Opportunity?
Publication/Presentation Date
2-1-2022
Abstract
STUDY DESIGN: Narrative review.
OBJECTIVE: Degenerative cervical myelopathy is one of the most frequent impairments of the spinal cord encountered internationally in adults. Currently, surgical decompression is the recommended treatment for people with DCM (PwCM) presenting with moderate to severe symptoms or neurological deficits. However, despite surgical intervention, not all patients make a complete recovery due to the irreversible tissue damage within the spinal cord. The objective of this review is to describe the state and gaps in the current literature on rehabilitation for PwCM and possible innovative rehabilitation strategies.
METHODS: Literature search.
RESULTS: In other neurological disorders such as stroke and acute traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI), timely and strategic rehabilitation has been shown to be indispensable for maximizing functional outcomes, and it is imperative that appropriate perioperative rehabilitative interventions accompany surgical approaches in order to enable the best outcomes. In this review, the current state of knowledge regarding rehabilitation for PwCM is described. Additionally, various therapies that have shown to improve outcomes in comparable neurological conditions such as stroke and SCI which may be translated to DCM will be reviewed.
CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that locomotor training and arm/hand therapy may benefit PwCM. Further, we conclude that body weight support, robotic assistance, and virtual/augmented reality therapies may be beneficial therapeutic analogs to locomotor and hand therapies.
Volume
12
Issue
1_suppl
First Page
97
Last Page
97
ISSN
2192-5682
Published In/Presented At
Boerger, T. F., Hyngstrom, A. S., Furlan, J. C., Kalsi-Ryan, S., Curt, A., Kwon, B. K., Kurpad, S. N., Fehlings, M. G., Harrop, J. S., Aarabi, B., Rahimi-Movaghar, V., Guest, J. D., Wilson, J. R., Davies, B. M., Kotter, M. R. N., & Koljonen, P. A. (2022). Developing Peri-Operative Rehabilitation in Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy [AO Spine RECODE-DCM Research Priority Number 6]: An Unexplored Opportunity?. Global spine journal, 12(1_suppl), 97S–108S. https://doi.org/10.1177/21925682211050925
Disciplines
Business Administration, Management, and Operations | Health and Medical Administration | Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods
PubMedID
35174735
Department(s)
Administration and Leadership
Document Type
Article