Combined interbody cage and anterior plating in the surgical treatment of cervical disc disease

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the results of treatment of symptomatic cervical disc herniation using interbody cages and anterior plate fixation. Fifteen patients were studied retrospectively. An MRI study of the cervical spine was performed preoperatively in all patients. The levels involved were C5-C6 in 9 cases, C6-C7 in 4 and C3-C4 in 1, while 1 patient had disc disease at the C5-C6, C6-C7 levels. Surgical treatment included anterior approach of the cervical spine, removal of the degenerative disc, excision of osteophytes and insertion of an interbody cage which was filled in with bovine allograft and demineralised bone matrix. The spinal unit was stabilized with an anterior plate and screws. No cervical splint was used postoperatively. The patients were followed up for 7 years on average after surgery. No failure or migration of the implants was noted, while bone fusion was achieved radiologically within 6 months postoperatively in all cases. The benefits of this surgical technique are the maintenance of cervical lordosis and disc space height, the high fusion rate, as well as avoidance of cervical orthoses.