Comparison of Zero-profile fusion and titanium plate combined with cage fusion in treating symptomatic adjacent segment disease after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion / 中华骨科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To compare the clinical effects of Zero-profile (Zero-p) intervertebral fusion and titanium plate combined with cage fusion in treating symptomatic adjacent segment disease (ASD) after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF).Methods:Retrospective analysis was performed on 26 patients who underwent ACDF and readmission due to concurrent symptomatic ASD from October 2014 to June 2019. There were 17 males and 9 females, aged 54.15±8.60 (range 41-68) years. The index level included C 2, 3 1 case, C 3, 4 3 cases, C 4,5 9 cases, C 5, 6 6 cases, C 6, 7 7 cases. Twelve cases underwent anterior cervical decompression with Zero-p intervertebral fusion and fixation (Zero-p group), while 14 cases underwent anterior cervical decompression with titanium plate combined with cage fusion and fixation (titanium plate group). The following parameters, including operative duration, intraoperative blood loss, Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score, visual analogue score (VAS), neck disability index (NDI), dysphagia Bazaz grade, bone graft fusion Eck grade, C 2-C 7 Cobb angle, and related complications, were compared between the two groups. Results:The operation was performed successfully in all the patients. The patients were followed up for averagely 33.38±21.26 (range 12-71) months. The operation duration was 95.83±5.47 (range 89-105) min in the Zero-p group, which was shorter than 121.28±8.24 (range 106-131) min in the titanium plate group. The Bazaz classification of dysphagia in the Zero-p group was superior to the titanium plate group at 1 month after operation ( W=126.00, P=0.022). Neither group had dysphagia 3 months after surgery. The JOA score increased from preoperative 9.50±1.31 to 14.33±0.78, and VAS decreased from 5.33±1.67 to 0.83±0.72 in the Zero-p group. The NDI decreased from 43.62%±9.31% to 14.99%±3.26%, and C 2-C 7 Cobb changed from 8.26°±2.92° to 14.80°±4.18° in the Zero-p group. The JOA score increased from preoperative 9.14±1.79 to 14.71±0.73, and VAS decreased from 5.43±1.55 to 1.43±0.76 in the titanium plate group. The NDI decreased from 43.76%±8.47% to 14.22%±4.59%, and C 2-C 7 Cobb changed from 5.53°±9.04° to 14.68°±6.89° in the titanium plate group. No complication, such as screw loosening or breakage or esophageal injury, occurred during the follow-up. Conclusion:Both methods can achieve good clinical effects in treating symptomatic ASD and can restore the physiological curvature of the cervical spine to a certain extent. Furthermore, the advantages of Zero-p intervertebral fusion include shorter operation duration, reducing soft tissue injury and less postoperative dysphagia.