Anterior cervical plating for the treatment of neoplasms in the cervical vertebrae.
OBJECTIVE
To assess clinical outcome and survival in patients with cervical vertebral spinal neoplasms after they have undergone anterior decompression and cervical plate stabilization (ACPS) by using either autologous bone graft or polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) as the anterior load-bearing support structure.


METHODS
This was a retrospective case study composed of 30 patients harboring cervical spinal vertebral neoplasms who underwent anterior cervical decompression and (ACPS) within a 7-year period. Postoperative immobilization included treatment in a halo brace in two cases and in a hard cervical collar for the remaining patients. Postoperatively most patients underwent radio- and/or chemotherapy. All patients except one benefited from a significantly improved quality of life with decreased pain and/or improved neurological status. The mean Kaplan-Meier survivoral estimate was 35.8 months (range 8 days-11.3 years, with 10 patients alive at most recent follow-up contact). Patients achieved long-term or lifelong mechanical stability in the cervical spine, and only one patient required a repeated posterior stabilization procedure. No hardware-related complications occurred. One patient died 8 days postoperatively of pneumonia. A nonsignificant difference in survival (p = 0.2164) was observed between patients harboring metastatic neoplasms (26.8 months) and those harboring lymphomatous and multiple myeloma neoplasms (54 months).


CONCLUSIONS
Favorable clinical outcome of both neurological symptoms and pain can be achieved using ACPS after surgery for neoplasms in the cervical vertebrae. Furthermore, long-term or lifelong cervical spine mechanical stability with bone fusion is achieved using this technique even when radiation therapy is delivered to the site of the bone graft.
Caspar
W
W
Department of Neurosurgery, University of Saarland, Homburg/Saar, Germany.
Pitzen
T
T
Papavero
L
L
Geisler
F H
FH
Johnson
T A
TA
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001860:Bone Plates; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013123:Spinal Fusion / Q000379:methods*; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate