title: Outcomes following cervical disc arthroplasty: a retrospective review.
abstract: Cervical disc arthroplasty has emerged as a viable technique for the treatment of cervical radiculopathy and myelopathy, with the proposed benefit of maintenance of segmental range of motion. There are relatively few, non-industry sponsored studies examining the outcomes and complications of cervical disc arthroplasty. Therefore, we set out to perform a single center evaluation of the outcomes and complications of cervical disc arthroplasty. We performed a retrospective review of all patients from a single military tertiary medical center undergoing cervical disc arthroplasty from August 2008 to August 2012. The clinical outcomes and complications associated with the procedure were evaluated. A total of 219 consecutive patients were included in the review, with an average follow-up of 11.2 (±11.0)months. Relief of pre-operative symptoms was noted in 88.7% of patients, and 92.2% of patients were able to return to full pre-operative activity. There was a low rate of complications related to the anterior cervical approach (3.2% with recurrent laryngeal nerve injury, 8.9% with dysphagia), with no device/implant related complications. Symptomatic cervical radiculopathy is a common problem in both the civilian and active duty military populations and can cause significant disability leading to loss of work and decreased operational readiness. There exist several surgical treatment options for appropriately indicated patients. Based on our findings, cervical disc arthroplasty is a safe and effective treatment for symptomatic cervical radiculopathy and myelopathy, with a low incidence of complications and high rate of symptom relief.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, 8901 Wisconsin Avenue, Building 19, Bethesda, MD 20889, USA.
authors.forename: John P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Cody
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, 8901 Wisconsin Avenue, Building 19, Bethesda, MD 20889, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, 8901 Wisconsin Avenue, Building 19, Bethesda, MD 20889, USA.
authors.forename: Robert W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Tracey
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, 8901 Wisconsin Avenue, Building 19, Bethesda, MD 20889, USA. Electronic address: scott.cameron.wagner@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Scott C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Michael K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Rosner
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, 8901 Wisconsin Avenue, Building 19, Bethesda, MD 20889, USA; Division of Orthopaedics, Department of Surgery, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Ronald A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Lehman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001178:Arthroplasty / Q000379:methods*; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery*; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006772:Hospitals, Military; D006801:Humans; D055959:Intervertebral Disc Degeneration / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008889:Military Personnel; D019547:Neck Pain / Q000209:etiology; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D019106:Postoperative Hemorrhage / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D011843:Radiculopathy / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012008:Recurrence; D061226:Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D062707:Return to Work; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D013126:Spinal Nerve Roots / Q000293:injuries; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Cervical disc arthroplasty; Cervical radiculopathy; Myelopathy