A new article published in The Journal of Spinal Disorders & Techniques examines adjacent segment degeneration for two-level anterior cervical discectomy, comparing fusion with standalone cages and fusion with cage and plate constructs.
The researchers examined 42 consecutive patients who underwent two-level ACDF with the standalone cages or with the cage and plate constructs. The patients were followed for two years and outcomes were assessed. The researchers found:
1. There wasn’t any difference in clinical outcomes between the two groups.
2. The patients with the cage and plate constructs had similar fusion rates when compared with the standalone cages group — 100 percent versus 95 percent.
3. There wasn’t statistical significance in anterior osteophyte formation and clarification of the anterior longitudinal ligament.
4. The average intervertebral disc height change of an adjacent segment was significantly lower in the standalone cage group when compared with the cage and plate constructs group.
5. The researchers concluded, "The use of a cage with or without plate constructs in two-level ACDF provides similar clinical results and fusion rates. Notwithstanding, ACDF-CPC showed higher incidence of ASD than ACDF-CA over the two-year follow-up."