Anterior Cervical Interbody Fusion with versus without Plating System in Degenerative Cervical Disease

ABSTRACT

Anterior cervical interbody fusion(ACIF) is an effective method for the treatment of various cervical diseases, but complications from such procedure include non-union, absorption, collapse and displacement of graft bone, kyphosis and pseudoarthrosis. A retrospective study of 67 cases with ACIF with versus without plating system in degenerative cervical disease was performed to compare the arthrodesis level, average admission period, average ambulation period, fusion rate, complications, clinical outcome and reoperation rate for complications and to provide a efficacy and role of internal fixation(IF) after ACIF. Forty-five patients were operated through ACIF without IF and twenty-two patients were operated through ACIF with IF. In the group of ACIF without IF, the average admission period was 20.31 days, postoperative average ambulation period was 6.48 days, fusion rate was 97.7%, the rate of graft related complication was 31.1%, reoperation rate for graft related complications was 8.9%. In the group of ACIF with IF, the average admission period was 17.64 days, postoperative average ambulation period was 3.19 days, fusion rate was 100%, the rate of graft and plate related complications was 13.6%, reoperation rate for plate related complications was 9.1%. There was no reoperation for graft related complication in group of ACIF with IF. In conclusion, ACIF with IF had less chance of serious graft related complications and reoperation for graft related complications.