A study in Clinical Spine Surgery evaluated current trends in single-level cervical radiculopathy treatment.
A total of 1,102 patients with single-level cervical radiculopathy treated with single-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion, cervical disc replacement or posterior cervical foraminotomy from 2010 to 2016 were identified in the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program.
Six things to know:
1. From 2010 to 2016, there was an increase in the number of cervical disc replacement procedures (7.7 percent to 16.1 percent) and a corresponding decrease in posterior cervical foraminotomy procedures (20.3 percent to 10.6 percent).
2. There was no significant change in ACDF volume.
3. Patients who underwent cervical disc replacement were younger than those undergoing ACDF or posterior cervical foraminotomy.
4. Patients undergoing posterior cervical foraminotomy were more likely to be treated in the outpatient setting, and had the shortest operating time and hospital length of stay.
5. There were no significant differences in complications among the three procedures.
6. ACDF remains the most common surgical treatment for patients with single-level cervical radiculopathy treatment.