LONG-TERM RESULTS AFTER ANTERIOR CERVICAL FUSION AND OSTEOSYNTHETIC STABILIZATION FOR FRACTURES AND OR DISLOCATIONS OF THE CERVICAL-SPINE/

This study presents the 5-9-year follow-up after anterior cervical fus ion and osteosynthetic stabilization anterior plating for fractures an d/or dislocations of the cervical spine in 25 patients. Adequate bony fusion was obtained in all patients within 1 year postoperatively. The re were no problems of late screw loosening. Fracture of the osteosynt hetic plate occurred in one patient. Late degenerative changes of the cervical spine at the disc levels adjacent to the fusion area were rad iologically detected in 15 of the 25 patients (60%) and were related t o the following situations: fusion on more than one disc level, fusion on a lower cervical segment, Frankel class A-C at admission, and hype rflexion injuries. However, these late degenerative changes had no sub jective or clinical repercussions, at least until now. From a neurolog ical point of view all patients remained stable postoperatively and no patients had late deterioration.