The surgical management in degenerative diseases of the cervical spine

Inadequate physical strain and the higher life expectancy increase fundamen tally the incidence and prevalence of degenerative diseases of the cervical spine. The aim of ail surgical procedures in degenerative diseases of the cervical spine is the decompression of the spinal cord and the nerve roots maintaining the anatomical lordosis and movement. Despite technically effec tive and sure operative techniques the various results in the surgical mana gement of the cervical intervertebral disc disease and this one of cervical spondylotic myelopathy are caused by accepted indications in the treatment of intervertebral disc disease on the one hand and the loss of knowledge a bout the spontaneous course and the prognostic factors of the myelopathy on the other hand. The choice of the operative strategy in intervertebral dis c disease seems to have only little influence on the final clinical results despite all controversies. In cervical spondylotic myelopathy, however, th e duration of signs and symptoms and their progress play the most important roll and require an early operative treatment using anterior approaches.