CERVICAL SPONDYLOTIC MYELOPATHY (CSM) INVESTIGATORS CONFERENCE -
Project Summary/Abstract - Ghogawala PI
Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy (CSM) represents the most common cause of
spinal cord injury in the United States and has been identified by the Institute of
Medicine as being among the top 100 priorities for new comparative effectiveness
research.
There is a significant need for new clinical trials on surgery for CSM. Surgical
decompression for CSM can improve its disabling symptoms. The optimal surgical
treatment, however, remains controversial, with disagreement between three main
approaches: ventral decompression and fusion, dorsal decompression and fusion, or
dorsal laminoplasty. Because we do not know which operation for CSM is optimal, it is
likely that many patients with this disease are not receiving the best treatment. There is
a growing consensus among spinal surgeons that a randomized controlled trial (RCT)
comparing these three approaches is necessary, feasible, and desirable.
Our objective is to obtain a conference grant with the following specific aims:
Specific Aim #1:
To convene orthopaedic and neurological spine surgeon thought leaders with
representative patients with CSM and other stakeholders to inform the design of an RCT
to compare the effectiveness and costs of ventral versus dorsal treatment options for
treating CSM.
Specific Aim #2:
To identify and define the optimal study population for an RCT comparing ventral and
dorsal surgery for CSM.
The conference will be held at the Chicago Marriott O'Hare. We expect to have
12 speakers and a total of 30 attendees. At the conclusion of the conference, the ideal
population for an RCT comparing ventral and dorsal surgery for treating CSM will be
identified. This information will be used to finalize a protocol for an RCT comparing
different treatment strategies for CSM.
