Seminars in Spine Surgery
Volume 18, Issue 4 , Pages 235-244 , December 2006

Pseudoarthrosis Following Anterior Cervical Surgery: Diagnosis, Treatment Options, and Results

  • Michael P. Stauff, MD
  • ,
  • Mark A. Knaub, MD

      Affiliations

    • Corresponding Author InformationAddress reprint requests to Mark A. Knaub, MD, Director, Orthopaedic Spine Service, The Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Assistant Professor of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033.

References 

  1. Bohlman HH, Emery SE, Goodfellow DB, et al. Robinson anterior cervical discectomy and arthrodesis for cervical radiculopathy (Long-term follow-up of one hundred and twenty-two patients). J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1993;75(9):1298–1307
  2. Cloward RB. The anterior approach for removal of ruptured cervical disks. J Neurosurg. 1958;15:602–617
  3. De Palma AF, Cooke AJ. Results of anterior interbody fusion of the cervical spine. Clin Orthop Rel Res. 1968;60:169–185
  4. Emery SE, Bohlman HH, Bolesta MJ, et al. Anterior cervical decompression and arthrodesis for the treatment of cervical spondylotic myelopathy (Two to seventeen-year follow-up). J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1998;80(7):941–951
  5. Robinson R, Walker AE, Ferlic DC, et al. The results of anterior interbody fusion of the cervical spine. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1962;44:1569–1587
  6. Welch WC, Gerstzen PC, Nestler AP, et al. Management of symptomatic cervical pseudarthrosis. In:  Clark CR editors. The Cervical Spine. Philadelphia, PA, Lippincott: Williams, and Wilkins; 2005;p. 1205–1211
  7. Emery SE, Fisher JR, Bohlman HH. Three-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion: radiographic and clinical results. Spine. 1997;22(22):2622–2624discussion 2625
  8. Epstein NE. Evaluation and treatment of clinical instability associated with pseudarthrosis after anterior cervical surgery for ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament. Surg Neurol. 1998;49:246–252
  9. Newman M. The outcome of pseudarthrosis after cervical anterior fusion. Spine. 1993;18(16):2380–2382
  10. Tribus CB, Corteen DP, Zdeblick TA. The efficacy of anterior cervical plating in the management of symptomatic pseudoarthrosis of the cervical spine. Spine. 1999;24(9):860–864
  11. Zdeblick TA, Hughes SS, Riew KD, et al. Failed anterior cervical discectomy and arthrodesis (Analysis and treatment of thirty-five patients). J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1997;79(4):523–532
  12. Steinmann JC, Herkowitz HN. Pseudarthrosis of the spine. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1992;284:80–90
  13. Kaiser MG, Haid RW, Subach BR, et al. Anterior cervical plating enhances arthrodesis after discectomy and fusion with cortical allograft. Neurosurgery. 2002;50(2):229–236discussion 236-238
  14. Wang JC, McDonough PW, Endow KK, et al. Increased fusion rates with cervical plating for two-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion. Spine. 2000;25(1):41–45
  15. Wang JC, McDonough PW, Kanim LE, et al. Increased fusion rates with cervical plating for three-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion. Spine. 2001;26(6):643–646discussion 646-647
  16. Samartzis D, Shen FH, Goldberg EJ, et al. Is autograft the gold standard in achieving radiographic fusion in one-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion with rigid anterior plate fixation?. Spine. 2005;30(15):1756–1761
  17. Samartzis D, Shen FH, Lyon C, et al. Does rigid instrumentation increase the fusion rate in one-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion?. Spine J. 2004;4(6):636–643
  18. Samartzis D, Shen FH, Matthews DK, et al. Comparison of allograft to autograft in multilevel anterior cervical discectomy and fusion with rigid plate fixation. Spine J. 2003;3(6):451–459
  19. An HS, Simpson JM, Glover JM, et al. Comparison between allograft plus demineralized bone matrix versus autograft in anterior cervical fusion (A prospective multicenter study). Spine. 1995;20(20):2211–2216
  20. Hilibrand AS, Fye MA, Emery SE, et al. Impact of smoking on the outcome of anterior cervical arthrodesis with interbody or strut-grafting. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2001;83(5):668–673
  21. Bishop RC, Moore KA, Hadley MN. Anterior cervical interbody fusion using autogeneic and allogeneic bone graft substrate: a prospective comparative analysis. J Neurosurg. 1996;85(2):206–210
  22. Zdeblick TA, Ducker TB. The use of freeze-dried allograft bone for anterior cervical fusions. Spine. 1991;16(7):726–729
  23. Papadopoulos EC, Huang RC, Girardi FP, et al. Three-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion with plate fixation: radiographic and clinical results. Spine. 2006;31(8):897–902
  24. Bolesta MJ, Rechtine GR, Chrin AM. Three- and four-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion with plate fixation: a prospective study. Spine. 2000;25:2040–2044
  25. Emery SE, Bolesta MJ, Banks MA, et al. Robinson anterior cervical fusion comparison of the standard and modified techniques. Spine. 1994;19(6):660–663
  26. Shields LB, Raque GH, Glassman SD, et al. Adverse effects associated with high-dose recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 use in anterior cervical spine fusion. Spine. 2006;31(5):542–547
  27. Brodsky AE, Khalil MA, Sassard WR, et al. Repair of symptomatic pseudoarthrosis of anterior cervical fusion (Posterior versus anterior repair). Spine. 1992;17(10):1137–1143
  28. Coric D, Branch CL, Jenkins JD. Revision of anterior cervical pseudoarthrosis with anterior allograft fusion and plating. J Neurosurg. 1997;86(6):969–974
  29. Albert TJ, Pinto M, Smith MD, et al. Accuracy of SPECT scanning in diagnosing pseudoarthrosis: a prospective study. J Spinal Disord. 1998;11(3):197–199
  30. White AA, Southwick WO, Deponte RJ, et al. Relief of pain by anterior cervical-spine fusion for spondylosis (A report of sixty-five patients). J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1973;55(3):525–534
  31. Farey ID, McAfee PC, Davis RF, et al. Pseudarthrosis of the cervical spine after anterior arthrodesis (Treatment by posterior nerve-root decompression, stabilization, and arthrodesis). J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1990;72(8):1171–1177
  32. Phillips FM, Carlson G, Emery SE, et al. Anterior cervical pseudarthrosis (Natural history and treatment). Spine. 1997;22(14):1585–1589
  33. Smith MD, Bolesta MJ. Esophageal perforation following anterior cervical plate fixation (A report of two cases). J Spinal Disord. 1992;5:357–362
  34. Lowrey GL, Swank ML, McDonough R. Surgical revision for failed anterior cervical fusions: articular pillar plating or anterior revision?. Spine. 1995;20:2436–2441

PII: S1040-7383(06)00074-8

doi: 10.1053/j.semss.2006.09.009

Seminars in Spine Surgery
Volume 18, Issue 4 , Pages 235-244 , December 2006