A new study published in Spine examines 10-year follow-up for Bryan cervical disc arthroplasty patients in China.
There were 33 patients who underwent the entire clinical trial with radiographic data. The average follow-up was 120 months. There were 25 patients who underwent single-level arthroplasty and seven who underwent two-level procedures; one underwent a three-level procedure.
Here are six key notes from the findings:
1. There were eight patients who presented with radiculopathy and 25 patients with myelopathy.
2. Twenty-five patients reported mJOA scores with myelopathy at 11.8 at baseline and 15.9 at the final follow-up.
3. None of the patients reported adjacent segment disease, but two patients received revision surgery at the index level after osteophyte formation and heterotopic ossification caused recurrent radiculopathy.
4. The range of motion at the operated level was 7.8 degrees at baseline and 4.7 degrees at the follow-up.
5. The researchers observed heterotopic ossification in 29 levels — 69 percent — and heterotopic ossification of Grade 4 at 14 levels.
6. There was adjacent segment degeneration in 30 levels — 47.6 percent.
"Cervical arthroplasty using Bryan cervical disc prosthesis resulted in fine clinical outcomes in this study," concluded the study authors.