Microscope-assisted anterior cervical discectomy and fusion combined with posterior minimally invasive surgery through tubular retractors for multisegmental cervical spondylotic myelopathy

This study aimed to investigate the clinical efficacy and outcome of combined microscope-assisted anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) with posterior minimally invasive surgery through tubular retractors for patients with multisegmental cervical spondylotic myelopathy (MCSM).This retrospective study included 28 patients (19 males and 9 females) with multisegmental cervical spondylotic myelopathy, who underwent combined microscope-assisted ACDF with posterior minimally invasive surgery through tubular retractors in our single center between January 2012 and December 2016. The evaluated postoperative clinical outcomes were operation time, length of hospitalization, blood loss, levels of creatine phosphokinase isoenzyme MM (CPK-MM), Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) scores, visual analogue scale (VAS) scores, Cobb angle of C2-C7, and radiological assessments (included X-rays, computed tomography scans, and magnetic resonanceimaging images).The mean surgery time was 198.42 ± 17.53 minutes, the average hospitalization length of hospital was 7.59 ± 1.38 days, and the mean follow-up time was 13 ± 2.45 months. On average, about 36.42 ± 10.15 mL of blood was lost and CPK-MM increased to 331.75 ± 23.15 IU/mL postoperatively (P < .001). The mean modified JOA scores increased from 8.21 ± 0.69 preoperatively to 13.96 ± 1.57 postoperatively (P < .001), whereas the mean VAS scores decreased from 6.64 ± 1.28 preoperatively to 0.39 ± 0.50 postoperatively (P < .001). Cobb angle of C2-C7 increased from 13.86° ± 5.69° preoperatively to 14.10° ± 5.56° postoperatively (P = .16).In conclusion, combined microscope-assisted ACDF with posterior minimally invasive surgery through tubular retractors appears to be a safe and effective treatment for patients with MCSM.