Objective:

To compare the effectiveness and safety of surgery for degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) in patients aged ≥ 70 years versus those aged 50–70 years.

Key Findings:

• Elderly patients (≥ 70 years) showed less improvement in NDI compared to younger patients (50–70 years), indicating a need for tailored postoperative care.
• Complication rates were higher in the elderly cohort within 3 months post-surgery, suggesting a need for careful preoperative assessment.
• Patient-reported outcomes indicated significant variability in recovery and quality of life improvements, highlighting the importance of individualized patient management.

Interpretation:

The study suggests that while surgery can be beneficial for elderly patients with DCM, they may experience less favorable outcomes and higher complication rates compared to younger patients, necessitating careful preoperative counseling and postoperative monitoring.

Limitations:

• The observational nature of the study limits causal inferences, which may affect the reliability of the outcomes.
• Data collection was retrospective, which may introduce bias and affect the accuracy of reported outcomes.
• Generalizability may be limited to the Norwegian healthcare context, potentially affecting the applicability of findings to other populations.

Conclusion:

Surgery for DCM in elderly patients can lead to improvements, but careful consideration of risks and expected outcomes is essential due to higher complication rates and potentially less favorable recovery.