Which statement about laminoplasty and laminectomy is true?

• A. Laminoplasty preserves posterior elements by expanding the canal
• B. Laminoplasty removes lamina to decompress the canal
• C. Laminectomy preserves posterior elements, laminoplasty does not
• D. Laminoplasty and laminectomy have identical effects on canal expansion

Answer: (A)

Laminoplasty expands the spinal canal while preserving the posterior elements. In this procedure the laminae are fashioned to open like a door or are hinged and held open to widen the canal, but the posterior structures—spinous processes and ligamentous attachments—are largely kept intact. This approach decompresses the cord without removing the posterior arch, helping maintain stability and reducing the risk of postoperative deformity seen with some multilevel removals.

In contrast, a laminectomy removes the lamina to accomplish decompression, which disrupts the posterior elements and can compromise stability, especially when done at multiple levels. Because of that, it does not preserve the posterior structures the way laminoplasty does.

So the statement that laminoplasty preserves posterior elements by expanding the canal is true. The other descriptions misstate what laminoplasty does or imply identical effects between the procedures, which isn’t accurate.