Cervical arthroplasty after anterior decompression with insertion of a prosthetic total disc replacement has been suggested as an alternate to anterior cervical fusion. Currently there are four cervical arthroplasty devices available on the market whose results in clinical use have been reported. Each device varies in terms of materials, range of motion, insertion technique and constraint. It i...

PURPOSE To compare radiographic and clinical outcomes after anterior cervical discectomy in patients with cervical degenerative disc disease using PEEK cages or PMMA spacers with a minimum 1-year follow-up. METHODS Anterior cervical discectomy was performed in 107 patients in one or two levels using empty PEEK cages (51 levels), Sulcem PMMA spacers (49 levels) or Palacos PMMA spacers (41 leve...

The author presents a simplified technique for midline screw-plate fixation in fusion procedures after anterior cervical discectomy, in which the plate is introduced over the Caspar distractor pins. The Uniplate system used, with a single screw in each vertebral body, minimizes bone damage to the vertebral body as the screws can be fixed in the holes previously used for the Caspar distractor pi...

Bilateral vocal cord paralysis is a rare and preventable complication of anterior cervical discectomy and fusion. Herein, we report a fatal case of bilateral vocal cord paralysis after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACD/F). A 65-year-old man with cervical spine trauma and anterior cord syndrome, following car overturn presented to our emergency department. The patient had C6-T10 prola...

This study is a retrospective analysis of 146 patients, 85 males and 61 females aged 21-80 years (mean 52 years), with cervical disk disease who underwent anterior fusion and titanium cage implantation with follow-up periods of no less than 72 months after surgery. All patients underwent the conventional anterior cervical approach. After removing the protruded disk and osteophyte, cylindrical t...

Serial roentgenograms of 40 patients who had 70 cervical intervertebral spaces grafted with ethylene oxide sterilized cadaver bone and 28 patients who received 44 iliac crest auto grafts for anterior cervical spine fusion, were studied. The radiological evaluation was made on the basis of settlement of intervertebral spaces, fusion rate, delayed union, non-union, graft collapse and extrusion of...

Injury to the vertebral artery during anterior cervical discectomy is rare but potentially fatal. We report a case of cerebellar infarction after endovascular embolization for iatrogenic vertebral artery injury at C5-C6 during an anterior cervical discectomy and fusion. A 61-year-old man had an intraoperative injury of the right vertebral artery that occurred during anterior cervical discectomy...

Cervical spondylosis is the most frequent reason for progressive impairment of spinal cord and nerve roots, which is clinically manifested as cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM), cervical radiculopathy, or both. Eighty operated patients are presented (49 men and 31 women), who had evidence of CSM and/ or radiculopathy. Age ranged from 26 to 80 years (mean 50 years). Depending on the predomina...

THE JOURNAL OF BONE AND JOINT SURGERY tions, including 24-hour ambulant monitoring, revealed only atrial fibrillation. Radiographs of the cervical spine showed spondylolisthesis at the C5 to C6 level. Anterior cervical interbody fusion was performed at this level; the bony changes seen at operation were similar to those described in case 1. He had no more drop attacks during the last year of hi...