Abstract:

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation of bone mineral density changes with vertebral deformation and clinical manifestations in patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy.
METHODS: A total of 42 cervical spondylotic myelopathy patients who received treatment at the Department of Sports Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University from January to June 2009 were selected and randomly divided into the normal (n=20) and lower bone density (n=22) groups. The cervical lateral of the C _3-6 spinal canal, sagittal diameter of vertebral body ratio, vertebral body deformation index in all cases was measured, and the clinical manifestations between two groups were compared. 
RESULTS: The cervical (C₃, C₄, C₅, C₆) sagittal diameter of vertebral body ratios of lower bone density group were significantly decreased than those of the normal group (P < 0.05, or P < 0.01), and the cervical (C₃, C₄, C₅, C₆) vertebral body deformation indexes of the two groups showed no significant difference (P > 0.05); While the clinical manifestations (symptoms and physical signs) was significantly greater in the lower bone density group than the normal group (P < 0.05).
CONCLUSION: Cervical myelopathy can cause osteoporosis in patients with vertebral bone hyperplasia, spinal stenosis, in particular, the clinical manifestations are more obviously in lower bone density patients.