Artikel
Multisegmental fusion in cervical degenerative disc disease – with or without plate fixation?
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Veröffentlicht: | 20. Mai 2009 |
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Gliederung
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Objective: Multilevel anterior fusions in cases of degenerative disc disease are normally carried out with an additional plate fixation. We examined if kyphosis develops after surgery without plate fixation. The other question was if the fusion of all vertebral bodies is sufficient after surgery without plates.
Methods: We operated on 588 patients with degenerative disc disease in the time from 01-01-2003 until 31-10-2008. Of these, 201 patients were operated in two levels, 38 patients in three levels and two patients in four levels. We performed the anterior microscopic discectomy with implantation of a disc spacer. No patient got an additional plate fixation system.
Results: All patients with surgery in three or more levels were examined in 2008. There were no postoperative complications. In the CT-scans done between 12 and 65 months after surgery there were 2 kyphoses. Signs of spondylodesis were to be seen 12 months after surgery.
Conclusions: It is not necessary to fix the cervical vertebral column with an additional plate system in cases of multisegmental anterior fusion in degenerative disc disease.