title: Use of a polymethylmethacrylate cervical cage in the treatment of single-level cervical disc disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) bone cement has been used as a spacer in the treatment of patients with cervical disc disease with good long-term outcomes, but solid bone fusion has not been demonstrated in all cases. To achieve cervical interbody fusion, the authors designed a modified PMMA cervical cage that they filled with spongy bone for the treatment of single-level cervical disc herniation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-three patients underwent anterior cervical microdiscectomy and implantation of a PMMA cervical cage filled with autograft cancellous bone and were followed for a minimum of 2 years. The fusion rates were 90.5 and 100% at the 6- and 12-month follow-up examinations, respectively. The mean intervertebral disc height gain was 3.4 +/- 1.9 mm when preoperative and 24-month postoperative values were compared. Neck pain, measured using the Huskissan visual analog scale (0 mm, no pain; 100 mm, worst possible pain), decreased from 71 +/- 13 mm at preoperative baseline to 28 +/- 17 at 6, 23 +/- 19 at 12, and 31 +/- 19 mm at 24 months. Based on the same scale, radicular pain decreased from 83 +/- 15 mm at preoperative baseline to 24 +/- 11 at 6, 27 +/- 13 at 12, and 22 +/- 11 mm at 24 months. The self-rated clinical outcome was excellent in 45 (71.4%) and good in 18 (28.6%) of the 63 patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The autograft cancellous bone-filled PMMA cage is safe and effective for cervical interbody fusion in the treatment of single-level cervical disc herniation and monoradiculopathy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Chang Gung University and Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jyi-Feng
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chieh-Tsai
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Sai-Cheung
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Shih-Tseng
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D017586:Diskectomy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009984:Orthopedic Fixation Devices; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011859:Radiography; D013123:Spinal Fusion / Q000295:instrumentation*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate