Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is currently considered the definitive surgical treatment for symptomatic single-level degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the cervical spine. The goals of ACDF are to relieve pressure on the spinal nerves (decompression) and to restore spinal column alignment and stability. Resolution of pain and neurological symptoms may be expected in more than 8...

Dialysis-related spondyloarthropathy is a rare cause of spinal deformity and cervical myelopathy. Optimal management of cervical spine spondyloarthropathy often requires circumferential reconstructive surgery, because affected patients typically have both the anterior column and the facet joints compromised. The occasional presence of noncontiguous or "skip lesions" adds an additional level of ...

STUDY DESIGN Retrospective study. OBJECTIVE We reviewed cases of surgically treated cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) or chronic, degenerative myelopathy of the subaxial cervical spine to study the incidence of inadequate surgical decompression. METHODS We included all persons treated at our institution after a first surgical decompression for CSM over a 3-year period. Inadequate origin...

The surgical treatment of cervical spondylosis and resulting cervical radiculopathy or myelopathy has evolved over the past century. Surgical options for dorsal decompression of the cervical spine includes the traditional laminectomy and laminoplasty, first described in Asia in the 1970's. More recently the dorsal approch has been explored in terms of minimally invasive options including forami...