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NCT Number: NCT07636135

Timing of Rehabilitation Following Cervical Spinal Surgery in Degenerative Myelopathy

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether starting rehabilitation earlier after surgery can improve recovery and is feasible and acceptable for adults with degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) undergoing cervical spine surgery. The main question it aims to answer is:

Does starting rehabilitation earlier improve walking, balance, physical activity, quality of life, and nervous system function after surgery?

Researchers will compare participants who begin rehabilitation two weeks after surgery with participants who begin rehabilitation six weeks after surgery to see if earlier rehabilitation leads to better recovery outcomes and participation.

Participants will:

Be randomly assigned to begin rehabilitation either two weeks or six weeks after surgery.

Attend physical therapy sessions twice per week for eight weeks focused on strength, balance, and walking.

Complete assessments of walking ability, balance, physical activity, quality of life, and nervous system function over several months after surgery.

Provide feedback about their experience with the rehabilitation program, including satisfaction and any side effects or challenges related to participation.

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Key information

Conditions

Cervical Myelopathy Central Nervous System Diseases Nervous System Diseases Spinal Cord Diseases Spinal Cord Injuries Trauma, Nervous System Wounds and Injuries

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • adult (>18 years of age) with diagnosis of degenerative cervical myelopathy, within 2 weeks of spinal decompression surgery
  • plan to be discharged home from acute care (i.e., not admitted to another facility for post-operative rehabilitation)
  • able to stand with a maximum of one-person assist (+/- use of gait aid)
  • persistent functional impairment in lower extremity strength, balance, coordination, and/or gait
  • ability to attend an 8-week in-person rehabilitation program in Edmonton, Alberta

Exclusion criteria

  • discharge from acute care facility > 2 weeks post-operative
  • intra-operative or early post-operative complication delaying discharge or precluding participation in early rehabilitation

Treatment and study plan

Physical Therapy

Behavioral

Active, task-specific physical therapy to enhance balance, walking, and strength

Primary outcomes

  1. Change from Baseline in the Ten Metre Walk Test

    Time frame: Baseline and End Rehabilitation (8 weeks following Baseline)

    Time to walk ten metres; lower times indicate faster walking speed

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change from Baseline in the Six Minute Walk Test

    Time frame: Baseline and End Rehabilitation (8 weeks following Baseline)

    Distance walked in six minutes; longer distances indicate greater walking endurance

  2. Change from Baseline in the Timed Up and Go

    Time frame: Baseline and End Rehabilitation (8 weeks following Baseline)

    Time taken to stand, walk 3 metres and return to sitting position; longer time indicates balance and mobility impairments

  3. Change from Baseline in the Berg Balance Scale

    Time frame: Baseline and End Rehabilitation (8 weeks following Baseline)

    Standardized test that includes 14 balance tasks, with scores ranging from 0 to 56; lower scores indicate balance impairment

  4. Change from Baseline on the 36-item Short Form Survey

    Time frame: Baseline and End Rehabilitation (8 weeks following Baseline)

    Survey measuring health-related quality of life, with scores ranging from 0 to 100; higher scores indicate better health status

  5. Change from Admission to Study on the modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association Scale

    Time frame: Study Admission and End of Study (12 weeks)

    Score to evaluate the severity of degenerative cervical myelopathy, with scores ranging from 0 to 18; higher scores indicate more mild myelopathy

  6. Change from Baseline in Motor-Evoked Potentials

    Time frame: Baseline and End Rehabilitation (8 weeks following Baseline)

    Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) will be used and electromyography (EMG) will be recorded in lower extremity muscles; size of motor-evoked potentials will be measured

  7. Change from Baseline in Hoffman Reflexes

    Time frame: Baseline and End Rehabilitation (8 weeks following Baseline)

    Hoffman reflexes will be elicited in the soleus muscle and electromyography (EMG) will be recorded; H:M ratios and rate-dependent depression will be measured.

Other outcomes

  1. Feasibility (Participant Recruitment and Retention)

    Time frame: From Study Admission to the End of Study (12 weeks)

    The recruitment and drop out rates will be recorded

  2. Acceptability

    Time frame: Immediately following rehabilitation (Week 8 for Intervention Group, Week 12 for Usual Care Control)

    Participants will describe their satisfaction with the intervention (including content and timing) through a custom survey following the intervention

  3. Safety (Adverse Events)

    Time frame: From Study Admission to the End of Study (12 weeks)

    Details and timing of any adverse events will be documented for all participants

  4. Change from Baseline in Daily Activity

    Time frame: Baseline and End Rehabilitation (8 weeks following Baseline)

    Activity monitors will be used to measure daily activity levels (including step counts). Average activity over 4-7 days of monitoring will be calculated.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Alberta

Other

Collaborators

  • Alberta Spine Foundation

Registry information

Official study title

Feasibility of Early Post-operative Rehabilitation Following Cervical Spinal Surgery in Degenerative Myelopathy

Important dates

Study start
2026
Primary completion
2027
Study completion
2027
First posted
Jun 9, 2026
Registry last updated
Jun 9, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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