[Radiological follow-up of motion in the cervical spine after surgery]

The influence of cervical spine in motion after surgery was evaluated by preoperative and postoperative functional radiography. Based on the analysis of postoperative radiograms, the following results were obtained: (1) The motion of cervical spine segments adjacent to the level of the anterior interbody fusion was increased after surgery. The larger the number of fused vertebral bodies, the greater the motion of the adjacent segments. A larger number of anterior fused vertebral bodies may cause more future damage to adjacent intervertebral discs. (2) The motion of the cervical spine was decreased after posterior procedures, especially laminoplasty, which preserves the posterior element. (3) Tilting motion and lordosis of the C 1/2 level was increased after anterior interbody fusion, laminectomy and laminoplasty.