Investigation of the compliance of cervical collar therapy in 73 patients with Hirayama disease

Objective: To summarize the therapeutic approaches of patients with Hirayama disease and investigate the patient's compliance to cervical collar therapy and its influencing factors. Methods: This was a retrospectively study.The clinical data of 73 patients was collected from Peking university 3rd hospital between 2010 and 2014. Results: (1)Of the 73 patients, 10 patients received surgery, 36 patients received collar therapy , and 27 patients received other conservative therapy at first visit.(2)The mean collar wearing time was from 0.3 to 36 months (means was 7±11 months). 28 patients (77.8%) wore less than 6 months, only 8 patients (22.2%) wore for more than 1 year. (3)The influencing factors were affecting appearance (33.3%), inconvenience to work (22.2%), surgical treatment performed after the exacerbation of symptoms(14.3%), illness stabilization (9.5%), choosing other conservative therapy (9.5%), personally feeling not seriously (8%) and discomfort while wearing (3.2%). (4)The patients with younger age of onset and treatment were more likely to choose neck care, while patients with older age of onset and treatment tended to choose more conservative treatment(P<0.05). Conclusions: As Hirayama disease can cause disability, application of a cervical collar to minimize neck flexion can prevent progressive muscular weakness in the early stages of the disease. But from our study, the compliance to cervical collar therapy is unsatisfactory.Multiple factors influence the compliance.Education for patients must be enhanced, and other methods to promote the therapeutic compliance should also be developed.