title: A Prospective Study of the Functional Outcome of Anterior Cervical Discectomy With Fusion in Single Level Degenerative Cervical Disc Prolapse.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cervical spondylotic myelo-radiculopathy is a form of spinal cord dysfunction syndrome and usually accompanies age related degeneration of the spine.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the functional outcome of anterior cervical discectomy with fusion and plating in single level degenerative cervical disc prolapse.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 20 patients diagnosed with degenerative single level cervical disc prolapse who presented to the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Justice KS Hegde Charitable Hospital, Mangalore from the period of November 2012 to May 2014 were enrolled in the study. Complete clinical and radiological evaluation of the patients was done. A trial of conservative management was tried in all these patients for a period of two months. They were taken up for surgery only when conservative management had failed. Scoring of neck function before the surgery was done as per the Modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association (MJOA) score. All patients underwent anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) with tricortical iliac crest bone grafting. Fixation was performed with titanium locking cervical plates. All patients were reviewed at 6 weeks and 6 months postoperatively. Assessment of neck function was done as per the MJOA scoring during all the reviews. Radiographic assessment was also done during all the reviews. The complications noted were documented. The statistical analysis was done using percentages; the arithmetic mean was calculated using SPSS software (version 16.0).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Amongst the 20 patients included in the study, 1 patient died postoperatively due to oesophageal rupture. of the remaining 19 patients reviewed and followed up, all of them had improvement of symptoms and were reported to be in the 'mild category' as per the MJOA score. One patient developed dysphonia, in the immediate postoperative period due to recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy which recovered in a period of three months postoperative.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Single level anterior cervical discectomy with fusion and anterior cervical plating for degenerative cervical disc prolapse with or without myelo-radiculopathy is an effective and safe surgical procedure with minimal complication rate.
authors.affiliation: Senior Resident, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, C.U. Shah Medical College , Surendra Nagar, Gujarat, India .
authors.forename: Mayur M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Kamani
authors.affiliation: Registrar, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, ARS Hospital 6/53, 6th Street, Thennampalyam Extension, Palladam Road, Tirupur, India .
authors.forename: Arjun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ballal
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, K.S. Hegde Medical Academy , Medical Sciences Complex, Deralakatte, Mangalore, India .
authors.forename: Vikram
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Shetty
authors.affiliation: Professor and Head of the Department, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, K.S. Hegde Medical Academy , Medical Sciences Complex, Deralakatte, Mangalore, India .
authors.forename: H Ravindranath
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Rai
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, K.S. Hegde Medical Academy , Medical Sciences Complex, Deralakatte, Mangalore, India .
authors.forename: Deepak
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hegde
keywords: Cervical locking plate; Cervical spondylotic myelo-radiculopathy; Modified japanese orthopaedic association score; Spondylosis of the cervical spine; Tricortical bone graft