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Spinal surgery showdown: which approach wins for myelopathy?

NCT ID NCT02076113

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Lahey Clinic Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing This study
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study compares two common surgical approaches—front (ventral) and back (dorsal)—for treating cervical myelopathy, a condition where the spinal cord is compressed in the neck. Researchers want to see which surgery leads to better quality of life and function one year after the operation. About 269 adults with multi-level compression are being followed to gather evidence that could guide future treatment decisions.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

What this could lead to
If successful, this could help doctors choose the best surgical approach for patients with cervical myelopathy, leading to better recovery and quality of life.
What could go wrong
This is an observational comparison of existing procedures, not a test of a new drug or device. Results may not apply to all patients, and individual outcomes vary.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

269 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Apr 2014

Expected to finish

Dec 2026

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

45 to 80 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * CSM (≥2 levels of spinal cord compression from C3 to C7) * Present with ≥2 of the following symptoms/signs: clumsy hands, gait disturbance, hyperreflexia, up going toes, bladder dysfunction. Exclusion Criteria: * C2-C7 kyphosis\>5º (measured in standing neutral cervical spine radiograph), * Segmental kyphotic deformity (defined by ≥3 osteophytes extending dorsal to a C2-C7 dorsal-caudal line measured on cervical spine CT), * Structurally significant ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL - measured on cervical spine CT), * Previous cervical spine surgery * Significant active health-related co-morbidity (Anesthesia Class IV or higher).

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

spondylosis, cervical

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Cervical spondylosis with myelopathy

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Cleveland Clinic Foundation

    Cleveland, Ohio, 44106, United States

  • Columbia

    New York, New York, 10032, United States

  • Emory

    Atlanta, Georgia, 30329, United States

  • Hospital for Special Surgery

    New York, New York, 10021, United States

  • Lahey Hospital and Medical Center

    Burlington, Massachusetts, 01805, United States

  • Medical College of Wisconsin

    Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53226, United States

  • MetroHealth

    Cleveland, Ohio, 44109, United States

  • Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School

    Newark, New Jersey, 07103, United States

  • Thomas Jefferson University Hospital

    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19107, United States

  • University Health Network-University of Toronto

    Toronto, Ontario, M5T2S8, Canada

  • University of California- San Francisco

    San Francisco, California, 94143, United States

  • University of Kansas Medical Center

    Kansas City, Kansas, 66160, United States

  • University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

    Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213, United States

  • University of Utah Health Sciences

    Salt Lake City, Utah, 84132, United States

  • University of Wisconsin

    Madison, Wisconsin, 53792, United States

  • Washington University School of Medicine- St. Louis

    St Louis, Missouri, 63110, United States

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