title: Effects of anterior contralateral cervical microdiskectomy on radiological and clinical outcome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We have conducted a prospective study to investigate the relationship between cervical spine alignment and clinical outcome in 102 patients undergoing anterior contralateral microdiskectomy without interbody graft or cage.
  
  
  METHODS
  Preoperative and postoperative lateral cervical radiographs were obtained, and curvature of the surgically treated spinal segments and the overall curvature of the cervical spine were evaluated in all patients. Clinical outcomes were assessed using the NDI and SF-36.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no significant change in the mean overall cervical curvature (C2-C7) angles postoperatively in late follow-up findings (P = .72). It represented a statistically significant mean loss of 2.73 degrees of segmental lordosis (P < .0001). The NDI scores decreased significantly in both early and late follow-up evaluations, and the SF-36 scores demonstrated significant improvement in late follow-up results in our series. Analysis of clinical outcome showed no statistical differences between patients with segmental lordosis or kyphosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite the kyphosis seen at the treated levels, the overall alignment between C2 and C7 did not change significantly, indicating that the untreated segments of the cervical spine were compensating for focal kyphosis.
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Neurosurgery, Sisli Etfal State Hospital, Istanbul 34077, Turkey. anhcavusoglu@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Halit
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cavuşoğlu
authors.forename: Osman
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Türkmenoğlu
authors.forename: Ramazan Alper
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Kaya
authors.forename: Songül Meltem
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Can
authors.forename: Yunus
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Aydin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D017586:Diskectomy / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007738:Kyphosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008866:Microsurgery / Q000009:adverse effects; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011859:Radiography; D016896:Treatment Outcome