Clinical Analysis of Surgery Treatment in Cervical Disc Disease: Long-Term Follow Up

59 Consequtive patients with cervical disc disease were treated with single or multilevel anterior discectomy and fusion using a modified Smith-Robinson procedure from Sep. 1993 to Dec. 1996.

There were 36 single-level fusions, 19 two-level fusions and 4 three-level fusions.

The most common presenting complaint was radiating pain to upper extremity and the most frequent site was the C5-6 in single level, C5-6-7 in two level, and C3-4-5-6 in three level. Immediate postoperative complications were encountered in 11 cases : graft extrusion in three, hardware failure and loosening in two, donor site pain and hematoma in four, and transient hoarseness in two cases. With an average follow-up of 1 year, the fusion rate was 96.5%(83 of 86 levels). The single-level fusion rate was 100%, the two-or three-level was 94%. Results by clinical examination revealed 32(54%) excellent, 23(39%) good, 1 fair and 3 poor.

There were no significant graft collapse or exrusion and wound infection or neurologic complications. The modified Smith-Robinson procedure for anterior cervical discectomy and fusion has led to the successful treatment of cervical disc disease with improved results and few complications in long-term follow up.