~ 775 ~
International Journal of Orthopaedics Sciences 2018; 4(4): 775-781
ISSN: 2395-1958
IJOS 2018; 4(4): 775-781
© 2018 IJOS
www.orthopaper.com
Received: 26-08-2018
Accepted: 30-09-2018
Dr. Arvind B Goregaonkar
Professor & Head, Dept. of
Orthopaedics, LTMGH, Sion,
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Dr. Rajesh Srinivas
Registrar, LTMGH, Sion,
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Dr. Hitesh Shukla
Registrar, LTMGH, Sion,
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Dr. Jitesh Mangwani
Registrar, LTMGH, Sion,
Mumbai, India
Dr. Amit Singh
Registrar, LTMGH, Sion,
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Dr. Santosh Bindumadhavan
Registrar, LTMGH, Sion,
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Correspondence
Dr. Rajesh Srinivas
Registrar, LTMGH, Sion,
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Clinico- radiological evaluation of stand alone cage in
degenerative cervical spine
Dr. Arvind B Goregaonkar, Dr. Rajesh Srinivas, Dr. Hitesh Shukla, Dr.
Jitesh Mangwani, Dr. Amit Singh and Dr. Santosh Bindumadhavan
DOI: https://doi.org/10.22271/ortho.2018.v4.i4j.100
Abstract
Age-related cervical degeneration is evident in over 50% of the middle-aged population and is the most
common cause of neural dysfunction.
Cervical spine anteriorly stabilised by use of anterior cervical plate, strut graft, standalone cage or
combination to maintain curvature and facilitate arthrodesis. Standalone strut graft has high rate of
complications such as graft subsidence, dislodgement, non-union and donor site morbidities. Anterior
plating has inherent deficiencies like plate loosening, screw pull out, breakage, trachea-oesophagal
irritation has increased operation time. Intervertebral cages avoid some of these difficulties due to their
self-fixing construct, ability to contain graft or graft substitute in it. The aim of this study is to compare
the clinical and radiological outcome of stand alone cage in single level anterior cervical discectomy and
fusion used to treat cervical degenerative disc disease.
We performed a prospective study of 30 patients treated with stand alone -cage in single level cervical
disc disease. The clinical and radiological outcomes were evaluated which includes visual analogue
scale, Japanese orthopaedic association, neck disability index, neurological status, cobbs angle, fusion
and subsidence. Through Smith-Robbinson approach ACDF was done. Patients were assessed up. There
is a significant improvement of symptoms reflected by VAS score for pain and functional scores like
JOA and NDI. Bony fusion was achieved in 29 patients with a rate of 96.7%.
Cervical spine alignment was restored in all patients with kyphosis occurring in 23.3% of patients. Cage
subsidence rate was 26.7% with majority occurring in C5-6 level. Anterior cervical discectomy and inter
body fusion using stand alone cervical cages can be considered a safe and equally efficient alternative to
iliac crest auto graft and anterior cervical plating by providing adequate stability. Stand-alone cage can
restore physiologic disc height, provide immediate load bearing support to the anterior column and
facilitate arthrodesis.
Keywords: anterior cervical discectomy and fusion, japanese orthopaedic association
Introduction
Spondylosis refers to these age-related degenerative changes within the spinal column.
Although the majority of cases are asymptomatic, changes such as disc herniation, osteophyte
formation, and hypertrophied ligaments may compress the cervical neuraxis to result in neck
pain, radiculopathy, or myelopathy
[1]
.
Several procedures have been described for the treatment of disc herniation and cervical
spondylosis when conservative treatment fails, including anterior decompression,
laminectomy, laminoplasty and instrumented anterior and posterior fusion by plates or screws.
After anterior cervical discectomy, intervertebral fusion can be facilitated by using autograft
(Iliac crest, fibula), allograft or bone graft substitutes. Standalone strut graft has high rate of
complications such as graft subsidence, dislodgement, non-union and donor site morbidities.
Anterior plating has inherent deficiencies like plate loosening, screw pullout, breakage,
trachea-oesophagal irritation has increased operation time
[2, 3]
.
Intervertebral cages have been postulated to avoid some of these difficulties due to their self-
fixing construct, ability to contain graft or graft substitute in it. Stand-alone interbody fusion
cages represent an alternative for anterior cervical fusion in the treatment of cervical
degenerative disc disease. The reason for development of similar fusion device was the