Does the degree of preoperative gait disturbance remain after tumor resection in patients with intradural extramedullary spinal cord tumors?

Abstract

Study design: Retrospective comparative study.

Objective: This study aimed to determine whether the degree of preoperative gait disturbance remains following surgical resection in patients with intradural extramedullary spinal cord tumors (IDEMSCTs), and to investigate any factors that may influence poor improvement in postoperative gait disturbance.

Setting: The single institution in Japan.

Methods: In total, 78 IDEMSCTs patients who required surgical excision between 2010 and 2019 were included. According to the degree of preoperative gait disturbance using modified McCormick scale (MMCS) grade, they were divided into the Mild and Severe groups. The mean postoperative follow-up period was 50.7 ± 17.9 months. Data on demographic and surgical characteristics were compared between the two groups.

Results: There was no significant difference in terms of age at surgery, sex, tumor size, surgical time, estimated blood loss, tumor histopathology, and postoperative follow-up period between the Mild and Severe groups. At the final follow-up, 84.6% of IDEMSCTs patients were able to walk without support. Gait disturbance improved after surgery in most of the patients with preoperative MMCS grades II-IV, but remained in approximately half of patients with preoperative MMCS grade V. Age at surgery was correlated with poor improvement in postoperative gait disturbance in the Severe group.

Conclusions: Regardless of the degree of preoperative gait disturbance, it improved after tumor resection in most of the IDEMSCTs patients. However, in the preoperative MMCS grade III-V cases, older age at surgery would be an important factor associated with poor improvement in postoperative gait disturbance.