title: Early Clinical Outcomes and Radiographic Features After Treatment of Cervical Degenerative Disk Disease With the New Zero-Profile Implant: A 1-Year Follow-up Retrospective Study.
abstract: METHODS
  Retrospective study of 52 patients who underwent anterior cervical fusion with the new implant.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the clinical outcomes and complications of the new implant for anterior cervical discectomy and fusion, and evaluate the radiographic features in the treatment of cervical degenerative diseases.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Although high fusion rates can be achieved with the anterior cervical plate, plate-related morbidity affects the patient's satisfaction with the surgical outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study was performed in 52 consecutive patients who used the new implant at 106 levels. The clinical outcomes were evaluated preoperatively and postoperatively using the visual analog scale score for neck and arm pain and the Japanese Orthopedic Association and ASIA motor score for myelopathy preoperatively and postoperatively. The cervical curvature, the segment height, and fusion status were assessed on radiographs during a mean 12-month follow-up period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was statistically significant difference in perioperative neck and arm visual analog scale pain score. The preoperative Japanese Orthopedic Association and ASIA motor scores were significantly lower than those before surgery (P<0.05), and this difference was maintained at the last follow-up. The occurrence of dysphagia was 11.5%, which was significantly lower than that reported in the previous literature. There was significant difference in lordosis before and after surgery (10.9±12.2 vs. 23.7±11.3, P<0.01) in the trisegmental group. The anterior disk height and interbody height of targeting segments increased from preoperative 5.1±1.56 and 31.9±3.43 to postoperative 9.1±1.02 and 36.7±2.44, respectively. Firm fusion was observed in all patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our investigations suggest that this new implant facilitates anterior cervical surgery with satisfactory clinical outcomes and a low rate of dysphagia. Our study has demonstrated that this new implant is able to restore and maintain physiological lordosis and segment height of the cervical spine postoperatively.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Changzheng Hospital, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Cong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yuan
mesh_terms: D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D055959:Intervertebral Disc Degeneration / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D016896:Treatment Outcome