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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Zero-profile (also called self-locking, anchored or stand-alone cages) have been recently proposed as an interesting alternative for anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF), as they are supposed to reduce the rates of post-operative cage extrusion without necessarily incurring in the additional surgical time and increased rates of dysphagia associated with plating. Nevertheless, the exact indications of zero-profile anchored cages have not yet been established in the literature. ⋯ Although hardware-related complications after the use of zero-profile anchored cages seem to be rare events, future biomechanical and clinical studies are warranted in order to evaluate the safety of employing such devices for the treatment of multilevel degenerative disc disease in the cervical spine.
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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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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.