Functional recovery following an end to side neurorrhaphy of the accessory nerve to the suprascapular nerve: case report.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of surgical treatment of cervical disc disease using a relatively novel type of cage, to assess the association between changes in cervical spine curvature and pain intensity as well as quality of life, to assess how often implants of different sizes were applied, and to analyze statistically the occurrence of surgical procedures performed on each spinal level.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

The study group included 30 patients (19 [63%] women and 11 [37%] men), with a mean age of 48.8 years. Clinical assessment included, among other things, the visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain and the neck disability index (NDI). In addition to these questionnaires, each patient was neurologically examined pre- and postoperatively as well as during the follow-up visits one and three months after surgery. Radiological evaluation consisted of measurements of general and local lordosis of the cervical spine based on radiographs.

RESULTS

Fifty-two cages were used during surgical procedures in the studied group of patients. Cages of seven out of ten different available sizes were used. Oblique cages (for lordosis correction) sized 4/6 mm (68%) and 5/7 mm (12%) were most often used. Implants of three sizes (8 mm, 10 mm, 7/9 mm) were not used. Surgical procedures most commonly involved levels C5/C6 (39%) and C6/C7 (33%).

CONCLUSIONS

Surgical treatment of cervical disc disease with DERO C-Disc PEEK cages improved neurological condition of patients, decreased pain, improved quality of life and restored pathologically changed lordotic curvature of the cervical spine to near normal values. In the analyzed group of patients no significant correlations between changes in cervical spine curvature (general and local lordosis) and intensity of pain (VAS) as well as quality of life (NDI) were observed.