Cervical Spine Surgery: Approach-Related Complications

Area of Science:

• Neurosurgery
• Orthopedic Surgery
• Spinal Surgery

Background:

• Cervical spine surgery addresses various pathologies.
• Approach-related complications are a critical concern for patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare complication rates between anterior and posterior cervical spine surgical approaches.
• To evaluate the efficacy of these approaches in treating cervical pathologies, including myelopathy.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 251 patients undergoing cervical spine surgery (Feb 2011-Oct 2013).
• Comparison of anterior cervical approach versus posterior cervical approach.
• Subanalysis for patients with cervical myelopathy.

Main Results:

• The posterior approach had significantly higher total and deep wound infection rates (11.9% vs. 5.8% and 8.5% vs. 0.5%, respectively).
• Overall complication rates were significantly higher with the posterior approach (20.3% vs. 7.8%).
• In cervical myelopathy patients, the posterior approach showed higher deep wound infections (12% vs. 0%) and total complication rates (18.1% vs. 6.1%).

Conclusions:

• Both anterior and posterior approaches are effective in preventing neurological deterioration and improving function.
• The anterior cervical approach is associated with significantly lower complication rates, particularly infections.