Cervical foraminal area and intervertebral height changes after titanium ring cage placement: Preliminary results

• Published in: Journal of clinical neuroscience Vol. 13; no. 2; pp. 228 - 232
• Main Authors: Colpan, Mustafa Efkan, Attar, Ayhan, Sekerci, Zeki, Tuna, Hakan, Egemen, Nihat
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Scotland Elsevier Ltd 01-02-2006
• Subjects: Adult; BAK-C; Bone Plates; Cervical disc herniation; Cervical foramina; Cervical Vertebrae - anatomy & histology; Cervical Vertebrae - diagnostic imaging; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Intervertebral Disc Displacement - diagnostic imaging; Intervertebral Disc Displacement - surgery; Intervertebral height; Male; Middle Aged; Movement; Neurosurgical Procedures; Posture; Prosthesis Implantation; Radiography; Subsidence; Titanium; BAK-C; Subsidence; Cervical disc herniation; Cervical foramina; Intervertebral height
• ISSN: 0967-5868; 1532-2653
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jocn.2005.03.035

To investigate the effect of titanium ring cage implantation on cervical foraminal area and intervertebral height.
Twenty-two patients with single level cervical disc herniation were enrolled in this study. All patients underwent a standard anterior cervical discectomy followed by titanium ring cage implantation. Radiographs were used for evaluation of the cervical foraminal area and intervertebral height in the pre- and postoperative periods.
Mean intervertebral heights were 0.7
±
0.1 cm (preoperative), 1.1
±
0.2 cm (early postoperative) and 0.9
±
0.2 (final measurement). Increase in intervertebral height at final follow-up was 0.2
±
0.1 cm (22.6
±
8.5%). Mean cervical foraminal areas were 0.4
±
0.1 cm
2 (preoperative), 0.5
±
0.2 cm
2 (early postoperative) and 0.5
±
0.1 cm
2 (final measurement). Increase in cervical foraminal area at the final follow-up was 0.1
±
0.1 cm
2.
Our study demonstrates that cervical intervertebral height and cervical foraminal area significantly increased after cervical ring cage placement but subsidence during the follow-up period negatively affects foraminal area. However, overall, there was a relative increase of foraminal area and intervertebral height when compared with preoperative values. Long-term follow-up is required to further assess the subsidence rate.