1.Welcome and Introduction
Dear Participant,
Thank you for participating in this global initiative led by the AO Spine Knowledge Forum Spinal Cord Injury (KF SCI).
Purpose: Degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) is the leading cause of non-traumatic spinal cord injury in adults and is treated surgically through decompression of the cervical spinal cord. While surgery aims to relieve mechanical pressure and prevent further neurological decline, determining whether decompression has been mechanically sufficient remains challenging.
In current practice, assessment of surgical adequacy largely relies on intraoperative judgment and delayed clinical recovery, both of which are imperfect surrogates. Early postoperative imaging is not routinely performed, and there is no consensus on objective intraoperative or early postoperative markers to confirm adequate decompression.
This survey aims to explore current practices regarding intraoperative and early postoperative markers used to assess surgical adequacy in DCM.
Instructions: Your insights are crucial to our understanding. The survey comprises introductory queries followed by 63 questions, and we estimate it will take approximately 15 minutes of your time.
Target audience: Health care professionals involved in the management of patients with degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM).
Confidentiality: Your participation is voluntary. Identifying information such as name, email address, or IP address will not be collected. Therefore, the identity of all survey participants will remain anonymous. Individual information will be kept confidential. By clicking on "Next", you are consenting to participation.
Deadline: Please complete the survey by September 30, 2026.
We appreciate your time and commitment to advancing the knowledge and practice in the field of DCM.
Thank you for your cooperation!
Sincerely,
Nader Hejrati, Michael Fehlings and Benjamin Davies
On behalf of AO Spine Knowledge Forum Spinal Cord Injury