MIGRATION OF THE CERVICAL-SPINE AFTER ANT ERIOR FUSION WITH BONE-CEMENT

Purpose: The usual treatment in cervical nerve root compression syndro me is the ventral fusion with bone cement. We examined the influence o f this interponate on the postoperative changes of the cervical spine. Materials and methods: 33 patients were followed-up postoperatively o ver 6 months, who were treated with 39 ventral fusions because of cerv ical myelopathy. The lateral view of the cervical spine was used to me asure the size of the bone cement interponate, the height of the inter vertebral body spate and the angle of both vertebral bodies. Results: There was no change on the size of the interponate. Postoperatively th ere was a slight enlargement of the intervertebral body space. During further followup examinations there was a decrease to the preoperative size because of the destruction of the endplates. Similar to this obs ervation, there was a change of the angle in the operated segment. Fir st there was a decrease of the angle, later an increase. 6 months post operatively the preoperatively status was re-attained. Clinical examin ation of the patients revealed new neurologic deficits in 10% of the c ases, Conclusion: We conclude that the postoperative deficits can be o nly partially explained because the structural changes occur with both the uncomplicated postoperative courses and in patients with postoper ative deficits.