Patients May Return to Work Sooner After Laminoplasty: Occupational Outcomes of the Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy Surgical Trial.

Authors

• Stephen P Miranda
• Robert G Whitmore
• Adam Kanter
• Praveen V Mummaneni
• Erica F Bisson
• Fred G Barker
• James Harrop
• Subu N Magge
• Robert F Heary
• Michael G Fehlings
• Todd J Albert
• Paul M Arnold
• K Daniel Riew
• Michael P Steinmetz
• Marjorie C Wang
• John G Heller
• Edward C Benzel
• Zoher Ghogawala

Publication/Presentation Date

1-1-2025

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Return-to-work (RTW) is an important outcome for employed patients considering surgery for cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). We conducted a post hoc analysis of patients as-treated in the Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy Surgical Trial, a prospective, randomized trial comparing surgical approaches for CSM to evaluate factors associated with RTW.

METHODS: In the trial, patients were randomized (2:3) to either anterior surgery (anterior cervical decompression/fusion [ACDF]) or posterior surgery (laminoplasty [LP], or posterior cervical decompression/fusion [PCDF], at surgeon's discretion). Work status was recorded at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. For patients working full-time or part-time on enrollment, time to RTW was compared across as-treated surgical groups using discrete-time survival analysis. Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess predictors of RTW. Clinical outcomes were compared using a linear mixed-effects model.

RESULTS: A total of 68 (42%) of 163 patients were working preoperatively and were analyzed. In total, 27 patients underwent ACDF, 29 underwent PCDF, and 12 underwent LP. 45 (66%) of 68 patients returned to work by 12 months. Median time to RTW differed by surgical approach (LP = 1 month, ACDF = 3 months, PCDF = 6 months; P = .02). Patients with longer length-of-stay were less likely to be working at 1 month (odds ratio 0.51; 95% CI, 0.29-0.91; P = .022) and 3 months (odds ratio 0.39; 95% CI, 0.16-0.96; P = .04). At 3 months, PCDF was associated with lower Short-Form 36 physical component summary scores than ACDF (estimated mean difference [EMD]: 6.42; 95% CI, 1.4-11.4; P = .007) and LP (EMD: 7.98; 95% CI, 2.7-13.3; P = .003), and higher Neck Disability Index scores than ACDF (EMD: 12.48; 95% CI, 2.3-22.7; P = .01) and LP (EMD: 15.22; 95% CI, 2.3-28.1; P = .014), indicating worse perceived physical functioning and greater disability, respectively.

CONCLUSION: Most employed patients returned to work within 1 year. LP patients resumed employment earliest, while PCDF patients returned to work latest, with greater disability at follow-up, suggesting that choice of surgical intervention may influence occupational outcomes.

Volume

96

Issue

1

First Page

131

Last Page

141

ISSN

1524-4040

Published In/Presented At

Miranda, S. P., Whitmore, R. G., Kanter, A., Mummaneni, P. V., Bisson, E. F., Barker, F. G., 2nd, Harrop, J., Magge, S. N., Heary, R. F., Fehlings, M. G., Albert, T. J., Arnold, P. M., Riew, K. D., Steinmetz, M. P., Wang, M. C., Heller, J. G., Benzel, E. C., & Ghogawala, Z. (2025). Patients May Return to Work Sooner After Laminoplasty: Occupational Outcomes of the Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy Surgical Trial. Neurosurgery, 96(1), 131–141. https://doi.org/10.1227/neu.0000000000003048

Disciplines

Business Administration, Management, and Operations | Health and Medical Administration | Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods

PubMedID

38912784

Department(s)

Administration and Leadership

Document Type

Article