Study design: A retrospective study.
Objectives: To review the outcome of 40 patients with post-traumatic syringomyelia treated with laminectomy and reconstitution of the spinal subarachnoid channels.
Setting: Birmingham, United Kingdom.
Method: A retrospective study of patients undergoing surgery between 1996 and 2007 was carried out. All 40 patients underwent a laminectomy with the creation of a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) conduit.
Results: A total of 18 (1 in 2) patients had long-term stabilization of symptoms after laminectomy and creation of a CSF conduit alone. Later, 17 patients underwent supplementary procedures. Overall, surgical treatment resulted in 27(2 in 3) patients with continued stabilization of symptoms and 13 (1 in 3) experiencing worsening of symptoms in the long term (mean follow-up was 64 months). Radiological review at 6 months revealed a reduction in the size of the syrinx in 21 out of 33 (2 in 3) patients.
Conclusions: Laminectomy for syringomyelia, with reconstruction of the spinal CSF channels alone, resulted in a reduction of syrinx size by 6 months, with half of all patients experiencing stabilization of symptoms in the long term. When additional techniques are taken into account, two in three of patients achieved long-term stabilization of symptoms.