title: Long-term follow-up of anterior cervical discectomy and fusion with bioabsorbable plates and screws.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is an accepted technique for the management of cervical spinal degenerative disease. Recently, new resorbable materials have been proposed for the anterior cervical fusion to eliminate some of the disadvantages and complications of metal plates. The aim of our study was to evaluate the long-term clinical results of the ACDF implants made out of bioabsorbable materials.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a retrospective descriptive study of a series of 17 ACDF patients operated with the Inion S-1™ resorbable screws and plates (made out of biodegradable copolymers composed of l-lactic acid and d,l-lactic acid 80/20) 5-7 years ago. The mean age of the patients was 45 years. A single-level procedure was carried out in 13 patients and a double-level procedure in four patients, and the most commonly fused level was C5-C6. Clinical background, preoperative and postoperative symptoms, previous trauma, complications, radiographic fusion and condition of the prevertebral space (preoperative and postoperative) were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We observed a good fusion rate and stability using resorbable plates and screws. None of the patients had associated severe complications such as adjacent tissue edema or infection, or had to be reoperated due to failure or migration of the used implants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this retrospective clinical long-term follow up demonstrate that cervical fusion can be successfully achieved using resorbable implants.
authors.affiliation: Neurosurgery Department, Hospital Clinico "Lozano Blesa", Av. San Juan Bosco 15, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain. Electronic address: vrodrigo84@gmail.com.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rodrigo
authors.affiliation: Neurosurgery Department, Hospital Clinico "Lozano Blesa", Av. San Juan Bosco 15, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain. Electronic address: lexmaza@gmail.com.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maza
authors.affiliation: Neurosurgery Department, Hospital Clinico "Lozano Blesa", Av. San Juan Bosco 15, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain. Electronic address: jbcalata@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Calatayud
authors.affiliation: Neurosurgery Department, Hospital Clinico "Lozano Blesa", Av. San Juan Bosco 15, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain. Electronic address: bancesluciano@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bances
authors.affiliation: Neurosurgery Department, Hospital Clinico "Lozano Blesa", Av. San Juan Bosco 15, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain. Electronic address: jdiazvicente@telefonica.net.
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Diaz
authors.affiliation: Radiology Department, Hospital Clinico "Lozano Blesa", Av. San Juan Bosco 15, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain. Electronic address: mjgimeno@comz.org.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Gimeno
authors.affiliation: Radiology Department, Hospital Clinico "Lozano Blesa", Av. San Juan Bosco 15, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain. Electronic address: beacarro76@gmail.com.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Carro
mesh_terms: D020341:Absorbable Implants; D000328:Adult; D001860:Bone Plates; D001863:Bone Screws; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery*; D017586:Diskectomy / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013123:Spinal Fusion / Q000379:methods; D013995:Time
keywords: Anterior cervical discectomy; Bioabsorbable; Biomaterials; Polymer