Postoperative Segmental Motion up to 1 Year Following Single-Level Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion: Plate versus Non-plate

Retrospective observational study. This study aimed to investigate the impact of plating on postoperative serial segmental motion and its correlation with clinical outcomes in single-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) for up to 1 year. The advantages and disadvantages of using cervical plating in ACDF have been well discussed; however, few studies compared the early serial segmental motions at the postoperative level between plating and non-plating. In retrospectively collected data, 149 patients who underwent single-level ACDF for degenerative disease were enrolled and divided into non-plating (n=66) and plating (n=83). Interspinous motion (ISM) at the arthrodesis segment, Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) for neck pain, and Neck Disability Index (NDI) were serially evaluated at 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. Predictable factors for fusion, including age, sex, plating, diabetes, smoking, and type of grafts, were investigated, and fusion was defined as ISM