[The assessment of the morphological changes after ventral diskectomy by thin-section computed tomography].
OBJECTIVE
We examined the changes of the intervertebral body space, the morphology of bone cement interponates and vertebrae after cervical discectomy and ventral fusion with high resolution CT.


METHODS
CT scans were performed on 25 patients preoperatively, one week and six months after cervical discectomy and ventral fusion.


RESULTS
There was no change in the size of the interponates. During follow-up new ossifications were found in 18 of the patients, two of them with neurological deficits. While directly after surgery the sagittal spinal canal diameter was enlarged, six months later particularly the lateral width was found to be reduced. After surgery soft tissue already narrowed the spinal canal in similar shape as the former prolapse.


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that postoperative neurologic deficits can only be partially explained by the described structural changes, because similar findings were made in uncomplicated postoperative courses as well as in patients with deficits.
Hutzelmann
A
A
Klinik für Radiologische Diagnostik, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel.
Palmié
S
S
Biederer
J
J
Wagner
D
D
Benz
T
T
Heller
M
M
D000328:Adult; D001843:Bone Cements; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D017586:Diskectomy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007403:Intervertebral Disc / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011184:Postoperative Period; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
D001843:Bone Cements
Beurteilung morphologischer Veränderungen nach ventraler Diskektomie mittels Dünnschicht-Computertomographie.