title: [The use of anterior cervical discectomy and fusion with self-locking cages to treat multi-segmental cervical myelopathy].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the use of anterior cervical discectomy and fusion with self-locking cages to treat multi-segmental cervical myelopathy.
  
  
  METHODS
  From April 2008 to March 2010, anterior cervical discectomy and fusion with self-locking cages were performed on 45 patients who suffered from multi-segmental cervical myelopathy, among of them there were 23 male and 22 female, aged from 32 to 67 years (average 53 years). Recording the Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) scores and SF-36 scores in the protocol time point, in order to investigate the clinical outcome, meanwhile, accumulating the pre-operation and postoperation X-ray films of cervical spine for measuring the height of intervertebral space, whole curvature of cervical spine and the rate of fusion by repeated measures analysis of variance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean follow-up time was 28.4 months (24 - 35 months). JOA scores ascended from preoperative 6.5 ± 3.1 to postoperative 13.4 ± 1.7 (F = 17.84, P = 0.001), the 7 scores of SF-36 improved significantly after operation (t = 1.151 - 12.207, P < 0.05), but mental health not. The fineness rate was 91.1%. Height of disc space ascended from preoperative (5.5 ± 1.8) mm to postoperative (8.3 ± 0.8) mm (F = 11.71, P = 0.043), globle curvature of cervical spine ascended from preoperative 5° ± 7° to postoperative 10° ± 14° (F = 234.53, P = 0.000), the change of the two index was significantly, respectively. Fat necrosis in one case and hematoma in another case at the bone donor-site were found, both of the two cases were cured by physiotherapy. All of the 45 cases (111 segments) achieved bone fusion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of anterior cervical discectomy and fusion with self-locking cages to treat multi-segmental cervical myelopathy possess many advantages as follows: satisfactory clinical outcome, minimally invasive, higher fusion rate, higher orthopaedic ability.
authors.affiliation: Orthopedics Center, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou , China.
authors.forename: Qing-chu
authors.initials: QC
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zhong-min
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Gang-hui
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: Hui-bo
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Ze-zheng
authors.initials: ZZ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Da-di
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Jin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery*; D019299:Decompression, Surgical / Q000379:methods; D017586:Diskectomy / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016268:Internal Fixators; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000601:surgery; D013123:Spinal Fusion / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome