Surgical Treatment of Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy

Inclusion Criteria: * Age \> 18 years * Willing and able to give written informed consent to participate in the study * Willing and able to participate in the study follow-up according to the protocol * Willing and able to comply with post-operative management program * Understand and read country language at elementary level * Patients who undergo surgery for symptomatic CSM defined as a combination of one or more of the following symptoms: * Numb hands * Clumsy hands * Impairment of gait * Bilateral arm paresthesiae * l'Hermitte's phenomena * Weakness AND one or more of the following signs: * Corticospinal distribution motor deficits * Atrophy of hand intrinsic muscles * Hyperreflexia * Positive Hoffman sign * Upgoing plantar responses * Lower limb spasticity * Broad based, unstable gait Exclusion Criteria: * Asymptomatic CSM * Previous surgery for CSM * Active infection * Neoplastic disease * Rheumatoid arthritis * Ankylosing spondylitis * Trauma * Concomitant symptomatic lumbar stenosis * Pregnant women or women planning to get pregnant during the study period * Has a history of substance abuse (recreational drugs, alcohol) * Is a prisoner * Is currently involved in a study with similar purpose * Has a disease process that would preclude accurate evaluation (eg., neuromuscular disease, significant psychiatric disease) * Patients seen by other services (eg., physical medicine, neurology, family practice), managed conservatively and not referred for surgical consultation are ineligible.