The future in the care of the cervical spine: interbody fusion and arthroplasty

2004 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 155-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Praveen V. Mummaneni ◽  
Regis W. Haid
Keyword(s):  
Adjacent Segment Degeneration ◽  
Cervical Disc ◽  
Adjacent Segment ◽  
Cervical Fusion ◽  
Cervical Disc Disease ◽  
Disc Disease ◽  
Cervical Arthroplasty ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Fine Print

✓ In the past 50 years tremendous advances have been made in the treatment of cervical disc disease with cervical fusion. Fusion rates have surpassed 95% after application of anterior cervical implants. Adjacent-segment degeneration, however, has plagued the long-term clinical success of cervical fusion. Cervical arthroplasty has been introduced to maintain cervical motion and potentially avoid or minimize adjacent-segment degeneration. If cervical arthroplasty is successful, the long-term results of surgery for cervical disc disease may improve; however, there are associated drawbacks that must be overcome. Implant wear, fatigue, and failure have been reported in cases of large-joint arthroplasty, and research is underway to limit these problems in cervical arthroplasty. In this article the authors trace the evolution of cervical fusion and the new technique of cervical arthroplasty. The nomenclature of cervical arthroplasty will also be introduced.

scholarly journals The future in the care of the cervical spine: interbody fusion and arthroplasty

2004 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 155-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Praveen V. Mummaneni ◽  
Regis W. Haid
Keyword(s):  
Adjacent Segment Degeneration ◽  
Long Term Results ◽  
Cervical Disc ◽  
Adjacent Segment ◽  
Cervical Fusion ◽  
Cervical Disc Disease ◽  
Disc Disease ◽  
Cervical Arthroplasty ◽  
Large Joint

✓ In the past 50 years tremendous advances have been made in the treatment of cervical disc disease with cervical fusion. Fusion rates have surpassed 95% after application of anterior cervical implants. Adjacent-segment degeneration, however, has plagued the long-term clinical success of cervical fusion. Cervical arthroplasty has been introduced to maintain cervical motion and potentially avoid or minimize adjacent-segment degeneration. If cervical arthroplasty is successful, the long-term results of surgery for cervical disc disease may improve; however, there are associated drawbacks that must be overcome. Implant wear, fatigue, and failure have been reported in cases of large-joint arthroplasty, and research is underway to limit these problems in cervical arthroplasty. In this article the authors trace the evolution of cervical fusion and the new technique of cervical arthroplasty. The nomenclature of cervical arthroplasty will also be introduced.

Assessment of adjacent-segment disease in patients treated with cervical fusion or arthroplasty: a prospective 2-year study

2005 ◽  
Vol 3 (6) ◽  
pp. 417-423 ◽  
Author(s):  
James T. Robertson ◽  
Stephen M. Papadopoulos ◽  
Vincent C. Traynelis
Keyword(s):  
Cervical Disc ◽  
Adjacent Segment ◽  
Cervical Fusion ◽  
Adjacent Level ◽  
Disc Disease ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Arm Pain ◽  
Adjacent Disc ◽  
Adjacent Disc Disease ◽  
Fine Print

Object. The authors compared the incidence of radiologically documented changes and symptomatic adjacent-level cervical disc disease after single-level discectomy and subsequent cervical fusion or arthroplasty in two independent prospective clinical studies. Methods. The patients were treated with the Affinity Anterior Cervical Cage System or the Bryan Artificial Cervical Disc. In each study the patients were required to undergo serial cervical radiography preoperatively and 24 months postoperatively, as well as serial clinical evaluations including documentation of adverse events, neurological status, and results of the 36-item Short Form Health Survey. All serial radiographs were reviewed prior to evaluating the clinical symptoms for development of increasing or new adjacent degenerative disc disease (DDD). Subsequently, the clinical data were analyzed. For various reasons of exclusion, the cases analyzed in the Bryan disc—treated cohort consisted of 74 patients and in the Affinity system—treated cohort there were 158 patients. New anterior osteophyte formation or enlargement, increased narrowing of an interspace, new DDD, and calcification of the anterior longitudinal ligament were the radiological findings indicative of adjacent-level disease. Fusion was associated with a significant increase in x-ray film—based changes of adjacent-disc disease (p = 0.009, odds ratio [OR] 2.44). In the cage fusion series, the incidence of symptomatic adjacent-level DDD was statistically greater than that in the group treated with the artificial disc (p = 0.018), and the patients required a statistically greater number of medical treatments related to episodic symptoms of neck, shoulder, and arm pain attributed to new disc disease (p = 0.001, OR 35.8). Conclusions. In comparing these prospective studies the authors demonstrated that maintaining motion rather than fusion will prevent symptomatic adjacent-disc disease and will decrease adjacent-level radiological indicators of disease at a 24-month postoperative interval.

Cervical arthroplasty after previous surgery: results of treating 24 discs in 15 patients

2005 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
pp. 335-341 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lali H. S. Sekhon ◽  
William Sears ◽  
Neil Duggal
Keyword(s):  
Interbody Fusion ◽  
Cervical Disc ◽  
Cervical Disc Disease ◽  
Disc Disease ◽  
Cervical Arthroplasty ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Anterior Interbody Fusion ◽  
Posterior Foraminotomy ◽  
Fine Print

Object. The potential role of cervical arthroplasty in patients who have undergone previous cervical surgery is unknown. The authors performed a prospective study involving nonrandomized clinical and radiological assessment in patients who had undergone either previous posterior cervical foraminotomy or anterior interbody fusion and who suffered new or persistent arm/neck symptoms related to neural compression. Methods. During a 30-month period, 15 patients who had previously undergone cervical spinal surgery underwent cervical arthroplasty that involved placement of the Bryan disc for neck or arm symptoms related to cervical disc disease. A total of 24 devices were implanted. Six of the 15 patients had undergone a previous posterior foraminotomy, and in nine cases an anterior interbody fusion had been perfomed at some stage prior to surgery. Clinical and radiological evaluations were performed preoperatively and after surgery to assess outcomes. A total of 24 arthroplasties were performed encompassing between one and three levels. There were no major perioperative complications or immediate device-related failures. Two patients were lost to follow up. The follow-up period ranged from 12 to 43 months (mean 24.2 ± 10.5 months). Good results were obtained in all cases as reflected by an increase in the visual analog scale score of 6.4 in terms of neck/arm pain (p < 0.05). There was no difference in Oswestry Disability Index scores for neck pain (p > 0.05) and no patient required surgery at the same level. In one patient hypermobility developed with internal subluxation of the device, which suggested a compromise adjacent to a two-level fusion at 21 months. The segment was hypermobile preoperatively. The patient has experienced recurrent neck pain but otherwise remains clinically well and has not required revision surgery to date. Conclusions. Insertion of the Bryan artificial cervical disc in patients who have previously undergone cervical fusion or posterior foraminotomy, in general, appears to be safe. It provided encouraging early clinical results, although patients with preoperative hypermobility should be treated with caution. Issues such as accelerated device-related wear and the use of arthroplasty after aggressive facetectomy resection will need further study; however, in carefully selected patients who have undergone previous surgery cervical arthroplasty may provide an additional tool in the management of cervical disc disease.

scholarly journals Adjacent-level arthroplasty following cervical fusion

2017 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. E5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deshpande V. Rajakumar ◽  
Akshay Hari ◽  
Murali Krishna ◽  
Subhas Konar ◽  
Ankit Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Cobb Angle ◽  
Anterior Cervical Discectomy ◽  
Cervical Disc ◽  
Cervical Fusion ◽  
Adjacent Level ◽  
Cervical Disc Disease ◽  
Disc Disease ◽  
Cervical Arthroplasty ◽  
Arm Pain

OBJECTIVE Adjacent-level disc degeneration following cervical fusion has been well reported. This condition poses a major treatment dilemma when it becomes symptomatic. The potential application of cervical arthroplasty to preserve motion in the affected segment is not well documented, with few studies in the literature. The authors present their initial experience of analyzing clinical and radiological results in such patients who were treated with arthroplasty for new or persistent arm and/or neck symptoms related to neural compression due to adjacent-segment disease after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). METHODS During a 5-year period, 11 patients who had undergone ACDF anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) and subsequently developed recurrent neck or arm pain related to adjacent-level cervical disc disease were treated with cervical arthroplasty at the authors' institution. A total of 15 devices were implanted (range of treated levels per patient: 1–3). Clinical evaluation was performed both before and after surgery, using a visual analog scale (VAS) for pain and the Neck Disability Index (NDI). Radiological outcomes were analyzed using pre- and postoperative flexion/extension lateral radiographs measuring Cobb angle (overall C2–7 sagittal alignment), functional spinal unit (FSU) angle, and range of motion (ROM). RESULTS There were no major perioperative complications or device-related failures. Statistically significant results, obtained in all cases, were reflected by an improvement in VAS scores for neck/arm pain and NDI scores for neck pain. Radiologically, statistically significant increases in the overall lordosis (as measured by Cobb angle) and ROM at the treated disc level were observed. Three patients were lost to follow-up within the first year after arthroplasty. In the remaining 8 cases, the duration of follow-up ranged from 1 to 3 years. None of these 8 patients required surgery for the same vertebral level during the follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS Artificial cervical disc replacement in patients who have previously undergone cervical fusion surgery appears to be safe, with encouraging early clinical results based on this small case series, but more data from larger numbers of patients with long-term follow-up are needed. Arthroplasty may provide an additional tool for the management of post-fusion adjacent-level cervical disc disease in carefully selected patients.

Use of a polymethylmethacrylate cervical cage in the treatment of single-level cervical disc disease

2005 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jyi-Feng Chen ◽  
Chieh-Tsai Wu ◽  
Sai-Cheung Lee ◽  
Shih-Tseng Lee
Keyword(s):  
Cancellous Bone ◽  
Disc Herniation ◽  
Interbody Fusion ◽  
Cervical Disc Herniation ◽  
Cervical Disc ◽  
Cervical Disc Disease ◽  
Disc Disease ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Single Level ◽  
Fine Print

Object. Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) bone cement has been used as a spacer in the treatment of patients with cervical disc disease with good long-term outcomes, but solid bone fusion has not been demonstrated in all cases. To achieve cervical interbody fusion, the authors designed a modified PMMA cervical cage that they filled with spongy bone for the treatment of single-level cervical disc herniation. Methods. Sixty-three patients underwent anterior cervical microdiscectomy and implantation of a PMMA cervical cage filled with autograft cancellous bone and were followed for a minimum of 2 years. The fusion rates were 90.5 and 100% at the 6- and 12-month follow-up examinations, respectively. The mean intervertebral disc height gain was 3.4 ± 1.9 mm when preoperative and 24-month postoperative values were compared. Neck pain, measured using the Huskissan visual analog scale (0 mm, no pain; 100 mm, worst possible pain), decreased from 71 ± 13 mm at preoperative baseline to 28 ± 17 at 6, 23 ± 19 at 12, and 31 ± 19 mm at 24 months. Based on the same scale, radicular pain decreased from 83 ± 15 mm at preoperative baseline to 24 ± 11 at 6, 27 ± 13 at 12, and 22 ± 11 mm at 24 months. The self-rated clinical outcome was excellent in 45 (71.4%) and good in 18 (28.6%) of the 63 patients. Conclusions. The autograft cancellous bone—filled PMMA cage is safe and effective for cervical interbody fusion in the treatment of single-level cervical disc herniation and monoradiculopathy.

Failed anterior cervical foraminotomy

2003 ◽  
Vol 98 (2) ◽  
pp. 126-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert J. Hacker ◽  
Christopher G. Miller
Keyword(s):  
Cervical Disc ◽  
Cervical Disc Disease ◽  
Disc Disease ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Degenerative Cervical Disc Disease ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Cervical Surgery ◽  
Cervical Foraminotomy ◽  
Fine Print

Object. Anterior cervical foraminotomy has been advocated as a procedure that preserves the motion segment while treating radiculopathy due to degenerative cervical disc disease. Because the medical literature contains no long-term follow up or randomized studies related to this procedure, the authors reviewed their results, specifically examining cases of failure to determine the efficacy of the approach. Methods. The authors identified 23 patients in whom unilateral cervical radiculopathy due to degenerative cervical disc disease was refractory to conservative therapy and in whom anterior cervical foraminotomy was performed between 1998 and 2000. The procedure involves ipsilateral exposure, microsurgical removal of the uncovertebral joint to identify the nerve root, and partial removal of the lateral anulus and or disc fragments. Data in those patients who underwent reoperation(s) were reviewed specifically for the procedure type, interval between index procedure and reoperation, and whether multiple procedures were performed. Of the 23 patients, 30% required at least one additional procedure. A good or excellent outcome at last follow-up examination was achieved in only 12 patients. Conclusions. In the current study the authors found a reoperation rate that is considerably higher than that in most series of anterior cervical surgery for radiculopathy. The presumed benefit of anterior cervical foraminotomy is preservation of the disc interspace; however, in this study, a significant number of patients failed to experience a satisfying outcome. Currently the authors do not recommend anterior cervical foraminotomy as a stand-alone procedure.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document