ANTERIOR CERVICAL DISKECTOMY WITHOUT FUSI ON IN CERVICAL DISC HERNIATION WITH RADICULAR COMPLAINTS

Only cervical disc herniation that provokes root compression unrespons ive to conservative treatment should be selected for operation. The op erative technique must allow adequate removal of the disc and relieve any root pressure without distressing the patient. Operative decompres sion of the root can be attained via laminectomy and arthrotomy or by way of an anterior approach. With this second procedure, the ventral d iscectomy can be done in conjunction with an interbody fusion. We repo rt our experience with 216 patients who unterwent anterior cervical mi crosurgical discectomy without fusion between 1980 and 1944. All these patients were suffering from compressive cervical radiculopathy cause d by disc displacement without significant degenerative deformation of the motion segment and without manifest segmental instability. The fo llowup ranged between 6 and 185 months (average 71 months) in the 175 patients in whom it was possible. Only in 7 patients (4 %) is the resu lt unsatisfactory; 79 patients (45 %) are completely free of symptoms 99; (56.6 %) are very satisfied and 45 (25.7 %) satisfied with the res ult of the procedure.