Upper Extremity Sensation After Surgery for Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy, Does It Change? An Observational Study From the Canadian Spine Outcomes and Research Network (CSORN)
Bibliographic record
Abstract
STUDY DESIGN: Multicenter observational cohort study. OBJECTIVE: To quantify upper extremity sensory recovery following surgical decompression for degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM), identify predictors of sensory improvement, and evaluate its association with postoperative health-related quality of life (HRQoL). SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Sensory dysfunction is a hallmark feature of DCM. However, prior studies have focused on overall neurological improvement rather than domain-specific outcomes, leaving the trajectory and impact of sensory recovery poorly characterized. METHODS: We used prospectively collected data from the Canadian Spine Outcomes and Research Network (CSORN). Sensory function was assessed using the modified Japanese Orthopedic Association (mJOA) sensory subdomain at baseline, 3 months, and 12 months postoperatively. Changes in sensory score were categorized as improved, stable, or worsened. HRQoL was evaluated using the SF-12 Physical and Mental Component Scores (PCS and MCS). Multivariable linear regression was performed to assess the independent association between sensory improvement and 12-month PCS and MCS. Multivariable logistic regression identified predictors of sensory improvement. RESULTS: Among 682 patients with baseline sensory deficits, 490 had 12-month follow-up data. Of these, 245 (50%) demonstrated sensory improvement, 226 (46%) remained stable, and 19 (4%) worsened ( P <0.001). Patients who improved experienced significant increases in PCS (from 31.4 to 40.5, P <0.001) and MCS (from 42.7 to 48.0, P <0.001). In adjusted models, sensory improvement was independently associated with higher PCS (+1.98, P =0.016) and MCS (+2.34, P =0.007), while worse baseline upper and lower extremity motor scores predicted greater odds of recovery (ORs 0.78 and 0.75, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Sensory improvement after surgical decompression for DCM is common and independently associated with meaningful HRQoL gains. Patients with more severe baseline motor deficits are more likely to improve. These findings highlight the prognostic value of baseline function and support incorporating sensory outcomes into preoperative counseling.
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How this classification was reachedexpand
Full frame machine prediction
Teacher imitationNot calibrated prevalence, not ground truth. Human validation pending. The Gemma side is a direct model label for every work in the frame, read from the title-only record. The Codex side is a classifier learned from the 10,348 direct Codex labels and calibrated to design-weighted sample rates; fields without enough sample support carry no Codex call. Candidate is the union of the two sides; consensus is their intersection. These outputs are machine_predicted_unvalidated and are not human labels.
Distilled classifier scores by category (both heads)
| Category | Codex | Gemma |
|---|---|---|
| Metaresearch | 0.002 | 0.004 |
| Meta-epidemiology (narrow) | 0.001 | 0.000 |
| Meta-epidemiology (broad) | 0.001 | 0.001 |
| Bibliometrics | 0.001 | 0.003 |
| Science and technology studies | 0.002 | 0.001 |
| Scholarly communication | 0.001 | 0.001 |
| Open science | 0.001 | 0.001 |
| Research integrity | 0.001 | 0.001 |
| Insufficient payload (model declined to judge) | 0.001 | 0.000 |
Machine scores (provisional)
The two teacher heads of the student model, read on this work. A score orders the frame for review; it never asserts a category, and the validation status ships verbatim with every row.
Baseline scores from an immature model (maturity gate not passed, 7 training rounds). Scores rank; they never assert a category.
score_only:v0-immature-baseline · verbatim from the scoring run: score_only means the number may rank works, and no category label ships from itClassification
machine, unvalidatedMachine predicted; a candidate call from one source (direct Gemma or distilled Codex), not a consensus.
How this classification was reached, model by model and score by score, is at the end of the page under "How this classification was reached".