Trends and complications in cervical spine surgery: 1989-1993

Area of Science:

• Neurosurgery
• Orthopedic Surgery
• Spine Surgery

Background:

• Cervical spine disorders encompass a range of conditions including degenerative diseases, disc herniation, trauma, and inflammatory arthritis.
• Surgical interventions are common for managing these conditions, necessitating an understanding of procedural trends and associated risks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze trends in surgical procedures for cervical spine disorders.
• To determine the incidence and patterns of complications associated with cervical spine surgery.
• To track changes in diagnosis and treatment over a five-year period.

Main Methods:

• Multicenter data collection and analysis of 4,589 patients operated on between 1989 and 1993.
• Categorization of principal diagnoses (e.g., spondylosis, herniated nucleus pulposus, trauma) and surgical procedures (e.g., anterior cervical discectomy, laminectomy, fusion).
• Systematic recording and evaluation of reported complications (e.g., graft failure, nerve injury, CSF leak).

Main Results:

• Diagnoses remained relatively stable yearly, with degenerative and discogenic conditions being most prevalent, followed by trauma (17%).
• Anterior surgical procedures were performed twice as frequently as posterior procedures.
• The overall complication rate was approximately 5%, with no significant trend observed over the study period.

Conclusions:

• Cervical spine disease is predominantly degenerative or discogenic, with trauma as a significant contributing factor.
• While anterior approaches are more common, the overall risk of operative complications in cervical spine surgery is low yet significant.
• The study highlights the importance of ongoing data collection for monitoring surgical practice and patient safety in spine care.