Prevalence of Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy Among Patients with Cervical Spondylosis

Abstract

Purpose: To calculate the prevalence of cervical spondylotic myelopathy among patients with cervical spondylosis. Methodology: The cross-sectional study was conducted in district Gujrat and Gujranwala on patients with cervical spondylosis in order to evaluate the prevalence of cervical spondylotic myelopathy among them. Data (n=186) was collected through non-probability convenient sampling using a Japanese orthopedic association cervical myelopathy evaluation questionnaire with the reliability of 0.89–0.96 by making a personal visit to different clinics and hospitals in Gujrat. Findings: The prevalence of cervical spondylotic myelopathy in patients with cervical spondylosis was 62.37%. The prevalence among different age group varied with the highest prevalence among age group 61-65 years old (30.2%). Moreover, it was higher in males than in females (52.6% vs 47.4%). The study also observed significant association between age and prevalence of cervical spondylotic myelopathy as they have p-value (0.000). This study concluded that the prevalence of cervical spondylotic myelopathy is high in cervical spondylosis patients. It appears that advance age may be the factor responsible for cervical spondylotic myelopathy, as cervical spondylosis is more prevalent in older individuals. Recommendations: There is a need to investigate the impact of lifestyle factors such as physical activity and posture on the frequency and severity of cervical spondylotic myelopathy. Both clinical assessment and imaging techniques should be considered to accurately diagnose and evaluate the severity of CSM. To explore potential correlation between the duration and progression of cervical spondylosis and development of CSM further studies should be conducted.