European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society
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Even though the anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is one of the most common spinal procedures, a consensus on the real need for prescribing a cervical collar (CC) after surgery is still missing. In fact, the role of external immobilization in decreasing non-fusion rate and implants displacement has not been clarified yet. ⋯ The use of a CC after ACDF without plating on single or double levels for cervical spondylosis seems not supported by scientific evidence. These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material.
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Controlled Clinical Trial
Patients with degenerative cervical myelopathy have signs of blood spinal cord barrier disruption, and its magnitude correlates with myelopathy severity: a prospective comparative cohort study.
The aim of this study is to detect the presence of blood spinal cord barrier (BSCB) disruption in patients with degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM). ⋯ In this study, we detected an increased permeability and disruption of the BSCB in DCM patients. The severity of BSCB disruption and the diffusion of Ig are related to the clinical status in our patient cohort. Having documented this particular pathomechanism in patients with DCM, we suggest that this diagnostic tool cloud be an important addition to surgical decision making in the future. These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material.