PATIENT-REPORTED SURVEY TO ASSESS CLINICAL STATUS AND SURGICAL OUTCOME AFTER ANTERIOR CERVICAL DISCECTOMY AND FUSION...

Degenerative cervical disc disease can be surgically treated by various procedures, one of which is anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). It is used to stabilize the spine and decompress neural structures of the spinal canal. However, measuring its impact on postoperative clinical status and surgical outcome is difficult. That is the reason why patient-reported surveys are commonly used to assess clinical status and surgical outcomes. To evaluate the surgical outcomes of ACDF with an allograft with a fixed angle of inclination at one cervical level, we conducted a prospective study on 60 patients over one year. We used a structured patient-reported survey based on the visual analog scale (VAS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and Odom questionnaire. Most patients experienced significant reduction in pain intensity in their arms and neck after undergoing ACDF with a carbon wedged-shaped allograft with a fixed inclination angle of 7º. This improvement was equally represented across all age groups and levels of the cervical spine operated on. Most patients also experienced a decrease in postoperative disability, as measured by the ODI, regardless of their age or the level of the cervical spine operated on. The majority of them rated their outcomes as either excellent or good, which was true across all age groups and levels of the cervical spine. In conclusion, patient-reported clinical status and outcome surveys are valuable and easy-to-perform tools for evaluating the quality of life of patients suffering from degenerative cervical disc disease after ACDF with a carbon cage having a fixed inclination angle.