Surgical experience with an implanted artificial cervical joint.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the effectiveness of Cummins' artificial cervical joint, the authors reviewed the cases of 20 patients in whom the joint had been placed.


METHODS
A review of patients' medical records and reexamination of 18 patients were performed. The review of the surgical experience with the implantation of movable stainless-steel joints in 20 patients treated for cervical myelopathy (16 patients), cervical radiculopathy (three patients), and severe pain (one patient) indicated that the procedure is safe and well tolerated and does preserve cervical joint motion in most patients over an extended period of observation. To date, adjacent segmental symptomatic degenerative changes leading to further surgical treatment have been avoided. The joint has been placed in patients with advanced congenital and acquired cervical fusion and has been demonstrated to be stable, mobile, and biomechanically and biochemically compatible; it has shown no subsidence into adjacent bone. Wear debris has not occurred.


CONCLUSIONS
The use of stainless steel in the cervical spine appears to be suitable for this joint replacement design.
Cummins
B H
BH
Department of Neurosurgery, Frenchay Hospital, Bristol, United Kingdom.
Robertson
J T
JT
Gill
S S
SS
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001168:Arthritis / Q000601:surgery; D019643:Arthroplasty, Replacement; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D007595:Joint Prosthesis / Q000266:history; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000601:surgery; D011474:Prosthesis Design / Q000266:history; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012449:Safety; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000601:surgery; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000151:congenital / Q000601:surgery; D013123:Spinal Fusion / Q000009:adverse effects; D013126:Spinal Nerve Roots / Q000473:pathology; D013128:Spinal Osteophytosis / Q000601:surgery; D013193:Stainless Steel; D013499:Surface Properties; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D013193:Stainless Steel