Does Cervical Spondylolisthesis Influence Patient-Reported Outcomes After Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion...

Area of Science:

• Neurosurgery
• Orthopedic Surgery
• Spine Surgery

Background:

• Degenerative spondylolisthesis is a common spinal condition.
• Patient-reported outcome measurements (PROMs) are crucial for evaluating surgical success.
• No prior research has investigated the impact of spondylolisthesis on PROMs following ACDF.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if the presence of degenerative spondylolisthesis affects PROMs after ACDF.
• To compare PROMs between patients with and without spondylolisthesis undergoing ACDF.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study of 1- or 2-level ACDF patients (age >18).
• Patients categorized into 'no spondylolisthesis' (NS) and 'spondylolisthesis' (S) groups based on preoperative X-rays.
• PROMs analyzed included SF-12 (PCS-12, MCS-12), Neck Disability Index (NDI), and VAS (Arm/Neck pain).

Main Results:

• 202 patients analyzed (154 NS, 48 S).
• Both groups showed significant postoperative improvement in PCS-12, NDI, and VAS.
• The S group demonstrated significantly greater improvement in Mental Component Scores of the Short Form-12 (MCS-12) (mean delta 8.3 vs 1.3, P=0.024).
• Spondylolisthesis was a significant predictor of greater MCS-12 change (β = 4.841; P=0.017).

Conclusions:

• ACDF surgery leads to significant improvements in physical function, neck disability, and pain for both spondylolisthesis and non-spondylolisthesis groups.
• Patients with spondylolisthesis experienced significantly greater improvements in mental health outcomes (MCS-12) post-ACDF compared to those without.
• The presence of spondylolisthesis positively influences mental health recovery after ACDF.