Table 1 Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score for patients with cervical myelopathic
Motor function | |
Upper extremity | |
The thumb and fingers | |
0 [Complete disturbance] The patient cannot use chopsticks or a spoon/fork, and cannot fasten a button on his or her own. | |
1 [Severe disturbance] The patient cannot use chopsticks or write, and can barely use a spoon/fork. | |
2 [Moderate disturbance] The patient can pick up a large object with chopsticks but can hardly write. He/she can fasten a large button. | |
3 [Slight disturbance] The patient makes awkward use of chopsticks, writes in a clumsy manner, but can fasten buttons on his/her shirt. | |
4 [Normal] Normal | |
Lower extremity | |
0 [complete disturbance] The patient cannot stand or walk alone. | |
(0.5 The patient can stand up.) | |
1 [Severe disturbance] The patient needs support to walk on a flat surface. | |
(1.5 The patient can walk on a flat surface without any support but the walking is not stable.) | |
2 [Moderate disturbance] The patient can walk on a flat surface without any support, but needs a handrail to walk up and down stairs. | |
(2.5 The patient can walk on a flat surface without any support, but needs a handrail only to walk down stairs.) | |
3 [Slight disturbance] The patient can walk fast, although awkwardly. | |
4 [Normal] Normal | |
Sensory function | |
Upper extremity | |
0 [Severe disturbance] Complete sensory loss (touch sensation, pain sensation) | |
(0.5 Partial sensory loss ≤ 5/10 (touch sensation, pain sensation); intolerable pain or numbness) | |
1 [Moderate disturbance] Partial sensory loss ≥ 6/10 (touch sensation, pain sensation); numbness and hypersensitivity. | |
(1.5 [Slight disturbance] Slight numbness (normal sensation)) | |
2 [Normal] Normal | |
Trunk | |
0 [Severe disturbance] Complete sensory loss (touch sensation, pain sensation) | |
(0.5 Partial sensory loss ≤ 5/10 (touch sensation, pain sensation); intolerable pain and numbness) | |
1 [Moderate disturbance] Partial sensory loss ≥ 6/10 (touch sensation, pain sensation); numbness and hypersensitivity. | |
(1.5 [Slight disturbance] Slight numbness (normal sensation)) | |
2 [Normal] Normal | |
Lower extremity | |
0 [Severe disturbance] Complete sensory loss (touch sensation, pain sensation) | |
(0.5 Partial sensory loss ≤ 5/10 (touch sensation, pain sensation); intolerable pain and numbness) | |
1 [Moderate disturbance] Partial sensory loss ≥ 6/10 (touch sensation, pain sensation); numbness and hypersensitivity. | |
(1.5 [Slight disturbance] Slight numbness (norm sensation)) | |
2 [Normal] Normal | |
Urinary bladder function | |
0 [Severe disturbance] Urinary retention, incontinence | |
1 [Moderate disturbance] Feeling of residual urine, straining of oneself, dull urination, elongation of urination (retarded urination), urinary incontinence | |
2 [Slight disturbance] Retarded urination, pollakisuria | |
3 [Normal] normal | |
Total 17 |