ArticleEuropean spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society2023
Conservative treatment for dropped head syndrome.
Article in European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 13 citations in OpenAlex.
- Management of dropped head syndrome: a systematic review and single-arm meta-analysis.Neurosurgical review · 2025Pooled it
- Development and internal validation of a prognostic scoring system for Conservative treatment outcomes in idiopathic neck extensor Myopathy-Dropped head syndrome.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2026Article
- Three-dimensional gait analysis reveals differences in spinal balance and muscle activity during prolonged walking in patients with dropped head syndrome based on global spinal alignment.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2026Article
- Obstruction of the pharyngeal airway space after correction surgery in the cervical spine for dropped head syndrome.BMC surgery · 2025Article
- Effect of Thoracolumbar Vertebral Body Fractures on the Prognosis of Dropped Head Syndrome.Spine surgery and related research · 2025Article
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- Nuchal Ligament Reconstruction Surgery for Dropped Head Syndrome: A Case Report.JBJS case connector · 2024Article
- Dropped head syndrome after bilateral cervical radiofrequency ablation. A case report and literature review.Interventional pain medicine · 2024Article
- Occurrence of Dysphagia After Correction Surgery in the Cervical Spine for Dropped Head Syndrome.Cureus · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposePrevious reports on the outcome of conservative treatment for dropped head syndrome (DHS) are scarce. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the efficacy of conservative treatment for DHS and to identify possible predictive factors relating to the outcome.
methodsAmong 76 DHS patients, conservative treatment (2-3 months collar application, active neck range of motion exercise, and occasional prescription of analgesics) succeeded in 17 patients (22.4%, group S, 4 male, 13 female, mean age 75.9 years). The treatment failed in the remaining 59 patients (group F). Clinical and radiological parameters were compared between the groups. Radiological findings of group S were compared between before treatment and at follow-up.
resultsDuration of disease was 6.6 ± 9.3 months in group S and 20.0 ± 27.6 months in group F. C2-7 angle (degree), the incidence of anterior slippage of the vertebra (%), reducibility (%), and upper thoracic kyphosis angle (degree) in group S/F were - 19.2 ± 17.5/- 34.6 ± 26.6, 23.5/62.7, 100/52, and 6.7 ± 8.6/17.9 ± 13.7, respectively. C2-7 angles were - 19.2 ± 17.5 degrees at pre-treatment and 10.2 ± 20.7 degrees at follow-up. These differences were statistically significant.
conclusionsThe present study indicated that conservative treatment was successful in 22% of DHS patients, with improvement in their cervical kyphotic alignment. Shorter duration of disease, relatively smaller cervical kyphosis without anterior slippage of the vertebra, reducibility, and abundant compensation at the upper thoracic region were good indications for the success of conservative treatment.
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