Objective Cervical myelopathy (CM) describes the compressive cervical spinal cord state, often accompanied by serious clinical condition, by herniated disc or hypertrophied spurs or ligament. Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) has been frequently employed as conventional surgical solution for this CM despite its inherent biomechanical handicap. Alternatively, an artificial disc replacement (ADR) preserves cervical motion while still decompressing the spinal canal and neural foramen. This analysis elaborated to clarify the potential benefits of ADR application to CM over ACDF from the conglomerated results of the past references.
Methods A literature search was performed using MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane review, and KMbase databases from the studies published until March 2023. Six studies (3 randomized controlled study [RCTs] and 3 non-RCTs) were included in a qualitative and quantitative synthesis. Data were extracted and analyzed using a random effects model to obtain effect size and its statistical significance. Quality assessment and evidence level were established in accordance with the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) methodology.
Results Among 6 studies, 2 studies showed that ADR group achieved significantly better clinical improvement than the ACDF group, while the rest 4 studies revealed no significant difference. A meta-analysis showed better clinical outcomes with or without statistical significance. The level of evidence was low because of inconsistency and imprecision.
Conclusion ADR was superior or at least, not inferior to ACDF in terms of functional recovery. However, its application to the CM patients is merely empowered with weak strength due to low level of evidence.
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Neurospine 2019;16(3):558-562. Published online September 30, 2019
Objective C5 palsy is a severe complication after cervical spine surgery, the pathophysiology of which remains unclear. This multicenter study investigated the incidence of C5 palsy following cervical spine surgery in Korea.
Methods We conducted a retrospective multicenter study involving 21 centers from the Korean Cervical Spine Study Group. The inclusion criteria were cervical spine surgery patients between 2012 and 2016, excluding cases of neck surgery. In patients with C5 palsy, the operative methods, disease category, onset time of C5 palsy, recovery time, C5 manual muscle testing (MMT) grade, and post-C5 palsy management were analyzed.
Results We collected 15,097 cervical spine surgery cases from 21 centers. C5 palsy occurred in 88 cases (0.58%). C5 palsy was more common in male patients (p=0.019) and after posterior approach procedures (p<0.001). C5 palsy usually occurred within 3 days after surgery (77 of 88, 87.5%) and most C5 palsy patients recovered within 6 months (51 of 88, 57.95%). Thirty C5 palsy patients (34.09%) had motor weakness, with an MMT grade≤2. Only four C5 palsy patients (4.5%) did not recover during follow-up. Posterior cervical foraminotomy was performed in 7 cases (7.95%), and steroids were used in 56 cases (63.63%). Twenty-six cases (29.55%) underwent close observation only.
Conclusion The overall incidence of C5 palsy was relatively low (0.58%). C5 palsy was more common after posterior cervical surgery and in male patients. C5 palsy usually developed within 3 days after surgery, and more than half of patients with C5 palsy recovered within 6 months.
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Intramedullary epidermoid cysts of the spinal cord are a rare disease. Around the world, there are few reported cases that involve the true intramedullary location. In this paper, we report a case of intramedullary epidermoid cyst which is not associated with congenital anomalies of the thoracolumbar region. A 53-year-old man suffered from lower extremity weakness, spasticity and fecal incontinence for 8 months. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a 4 cm sized intradural intramedullary mass at the T11-L1 level. The tumor was resected through the posterior approach and complete removal of the mass was performed. Intraoperative and histological findings revealed an epidermoid cyst in the intramedullary region of the spinal cord. Although epidermoid cysts are very rare, these lesions should be considered in the differential diagnosis when an MRI is suggestive of an intradural, intramedullary mass. With early detection and complete resection, the patient had a good neurological outcome.
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