Older patient age, cervical deformity among risk factors found in patients with unintentional cervical dural tears

NEW ORLEANS — Researchers found that unintentional cervical dural tears had a minimal impact on patient-reported surgical outcomes, according to data from one of the largest series of cervical dural tears.

Kevin R. O’Neill, MD, and colleagues studied the cause and treatment of cervical dural tears among 3,848 cases of cervical spine surgery performed in adults at a single academic institution from 1995 to 2012. They used the center’s prospective database to evaluate the cases, which were all performed by a single surgeon at a single center, as well as any dural tears that occurred. They also determined how the tears were treated and if the treatment or repair was successful, when that information was available.

They identified 3,848 cervical spine operations with 38 dural tears for an overall incidence of 1%, O’Neill said, here.

“The dural tears were found to occur during posterior exposure in 16%, which was most commonly a Bovie that went into the interlaminar space. “The remaining 84% of the dural tears occurred during neural decompression with OPLL [ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament] involved in 34% of the group overall.”

O’Neil said that other factors that increased the risk factors for unintentional dural tears were the presence of rheumatoid arthritis, longer operative time, more surgical levels and performance of a corpectomy.

“A revision laminectomy was also a strong risk factor, as was a worse neurologic exam,” he said. – by Susan M. Rapp

Reference:

O’Neill KR. Paper #219. Presented at: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting; March 11-15, 2014; New Orleans.

Disclosure: O’Neill has no relevant financial disclosures.