Surgical treatment of cervical spondylosis in patients 80 years of age and older-A retrospective observational study

The older adult population in developed countries is rapidly increasing, as is the number of older adults with cervical spondylosis. Previous studies on the surgical outcomes of older adults with cervical spondylosis have reported contradictory results. This study aimed to compare the surgical outcomes in adults with cervical spondylosis who were <80 and >= 80 years old. We retrospectively investigated data from adults who underwent surgical treatment for cervical spondylosis between 2006 and 2016. The clinical outcomes and postoperative complications of patients who were <80 years old were compared to those of patients who were >= 80 years old. Of the 108 patients included in the study, 14 (13.0%) were >= 80 years old. The preoperative neurosurgical cervical spine score was significantly different between patients who were <80 (9.1 +/- 2.4) and >= 80 (6.1 +/- 2.1) years old (p<.001). The recovery rate was 58.2 +/- 30.0% and 41.3 +/- 24.7% in patients who were <80 and >= 80 years old, respectively (p=.05). However, the number of recovery points scored was 2.8 +/- 2.0 and 3.4 +/- 2.3 in patients who were <80 and >= 80 years old, respectively, which was not significantly different. Although 12 patients had medical comorbidities, they had no surgical complications. This study clarifies the benefits of surgical treatment for older adults with cervical spondylosis. Generally, older adults have lower recovery rates and are unlikely to experience full recovery; however, surgery for cervical spondylosis appears to improve patients' quality of life.