Total arthroplasty and anterior cervical discectomy with fixation: long-term results of a randomized clinical trial

Abstract

Objective. To perform comparative analysis of the long-term results of using the methods of total cervical disc arthroplasty (CDA) and anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) in the surgical treatment of patients with single-level degenerative diseases of cervical intervertebral discs. Material and Methods. The study included 186 patients aged 21–60 years. Independent sequential randomization (1:1) of 173 patients was performed using software. The following parameters were used to evaluate patients: the VAS score of pain syndrome severity in the cervical spine and upper extremities, the Neck Disability Index (NDI) score of the quality of life, the amplitude of movements of the operated segment, the frequency of adjacent discs degeneration and of repeated surgical interventions and adverse events. Results. In the long-term follow-up, the best clinical outcomes according to VAS and NDI data were recorded in patients from the CDA group. Their amplitude of movements in the segment remained in the physiological volume. In the ACDF group, a complete fusion was verified in 83 (93.3 %) cases. A significantly higher degree of degenerative disease of superjacent intervertebral discs was revealed in ACDF group (p 0.05). The number of intraoperative and early postoperative complications did not have a statistically significant intergroup difference (p > 0.05). Symptomatic degeneration of adjacent segments was verified in 2 (2.4 %) respondents from the CDA group and in 8 (9.0 %) from the ACDF group (p < 0.001). Symptomatic adverse effects were found in 3 (3.6 %) CDA patients in the form of heterotopic ossification and in 6 (6.7 %) ACDF patients in the form of pseudoarthrosis. Conclusions. The operations of total disc arthroplasty (CDA) and anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) are safe and effective methods of surgical treatment of patients with single-level degenerative diseases of cervical intervertebral discs. In CDA patients, significantly better clinical results were noted, as compared with the ACDF group. The CDA method allowed preserving the normal biomechanics of the cervical spine and preventing the development of degenerative disease of adjacent segments.

Keywords

• degenerative disease of cervical intervertebral discs
• long-term results
• prospective randomized study
• total arthroplasty
• an- terior cervical discectomy and fusion