gms | German Medical Science

Objective: To evaluate clinical and radiologic outcome in patients treated with a dynamic cervical implant (DCI) or anterior cervical diskectomy and fusion (ACDF).

Methods: This retrospective cohort study enrolled patients with single- or two-level cervical degenerative disc disease who underwent DCI arthroplasty or ACDF between September 2008 and June 2016. Patients were followed up for more than 5 years. The study included 68 patients with one- or two-level cervical degenerative disk disease (DDD) undergoing treatment with either DCI (n = 36) or ACDF (n = 32). Clinical and radiologic outcomes were assessed 60 to 72 months after surgery. Clinical scoring systems included the Visual Analog Scale for Neck (VAS-N) and Arm pain (VAS-A), the Neck Disability Index (NDI), and the Quality of Life Scale (SF36).

Results: Both the DCI and ACDF group showed significant clinical improvement 60 months after surgery using the VAS-N (p = 0.034 and p < 0.001, respectively), VAS-A (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively), NPAD (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively), and SF36 (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). There were no significant differences in clinical outcome comparing both groups at the 60-month follow-up. The fusion rate at 60 months after surgery was 90.4% and 94.0% in the DCI and ACDF groups, respectively. Heterotopic ossification was found in 90.9% in the DCI group at 60-month follow-up.

Conclusion: The clinical results for DCI treatment are equivalent to those for ACDF in the treatment of one- and two-level cervical DDD at 60 months after surgery. There is a high rate of fusion associated with DCI treatment due to heterotopic ossification.