[The preliminary clinical study about the effectiveness of selective treatment for traumatic cervical disc herniation...

To discuss the efficacy of a new double plate self locking interbody fusion device(ROI-C) in the anterior cervical discectomy and fusion(ACDF) to treat traumatic cervical disc herniation(TCDH) without segmental instability, fracture or dislocation.

ACDF with stand alone ROI-C was performed in 17 selective TCDH patients between December 2011 and December 2013. There were 12 males and 5 females, aged from 24 to 41 years old with a mean of 32.9 years, including 11 patients with single segment, 4 patients with double segments and 2 patients with three segments. Japanese Orthopaedics Assiciation (JOA), visual analogue scale(VAS) score and the Neck Disability Index(NDI) were recorded before and after operation in order to evaluate the clinical outcome, meanwhile, the preoperative and postoperative X ray films were collected to measure the intervertebral space height and whole cervical curvature. According to Vaccraro criteria to observe the bone fusion. The clinical effects were assessed according to Odom criteria.

All patients were followed up from 12 to 33 months with an average of 18.5 months. JOA score was increased significantly from preoperative 4.3±3.8 to 13.9±2.5 at final follow up (P<0.05). VAS, NDI were decreased from preoperative (6.5±2.2) scores and (38.2±11.7) % to (1.0±0.9) scores and (8.7±3.4) % in final follow up, respectively (P<0.05). Intervertebral space height and cervical curvature were increased from preoperative (5.2±1.7) mm and (5.1±7.5) ° to (7.8±0.6) mm and (10.5±5.1) °, respectively(P<0.05). Hoarseness occurred in one patient and dysphagia occurred in 2 patients and they recovered spontaneously in 2 weeks and 3 months after operation, respectively. All the segments (25 levels) of the 17 cases achieved bony fusion in 6 months after operation. No displacement, subsidence and failure of ROI-C were found during follow up. According to Odom's criteria to evaluate clinical effects at the last follow up, 13 cases got excellent results, 3 good, and 1 fair.

ACDF with stand alone ROI-C is an effective, minimally invasive and reliable method in treating TCDH without segmental instability, fracture or dislocation, it can obtain satisfactory clinical outcomes and has advantage of less complications, high fusion rate.