[Zero-profile intervertebral fusion with cage-titanium plate for the treatment of multilevel cervical spondylotic myelopathy]

Objective: To explore clinical effect of Zero-profile intervertebral fusion with cage-titanium plate in treating multilevel cervical spondylotic myelopathy.

Methods: From January 2016 to January 2020, 107 patients with multisegmental cervical spondylotic myelopathy treated by surgery were retrospectively analyzed and divided into Hybrid group and control group according to different surgical methods. There were 54 patients in Hybrid group, including 42 males and 12 females, aged from 33 to 77 years old with an average of (57.3±9.5) years old;20 patients with C₃-C₆, 27 patients with C₄-C₇ and 7 patients with C₃-C₇;Zero-profile intervertebral fusion with cage-titanium plate internal fixation was performed. There were 53 patients in control group, including 34 males and 19 females;aged from 36 to 79 years old with an average of (57.8±8.9) years old;17 patients with C₃-C₆, 27 patients with C₄-C₇, and 9 patients with C₃-C₇;titanium plate interbody fusion fixation was performed. Operation time, blood loss and complications between two groups were compared, visual analogue scale (VAS), Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) scores and neck disability index (NDI) were used to assess recovery of clinical symptoms;cervical lordosis (CL), cervical sagittal vertical axis (C-SVA), and T₁ slope (T₁S) were measured and compared to evaluate cervical sagittal plane parameters.

Results: All patients were followed up, Hybrid group was followed up for 24 to 64 months with an average of (31.7±18.4) months, and control group was followed up for 24 to 65 months with an average of (32.6±15.8) months. There was no significant difference in follow-up time between two groups (P>0.05). Operation time and blood loss in Hybrid group were less than those in control group (P<0.05). VAS, JOA score and NDI were significantly improved between two groups at the lastest follow-up (P<0.05). There were no significant difference in VAS, JOA and NDI scores between two groups before and after operation (P>0.05). CL in both two groups at 3 months and the latest follow-up after operation were significantly improved than those before operation (P<0.05), there were no significant difference between two groups in T1S and C-SVA before and after operation (P>0.05). Postoperative dysphagia occurred in 2 patients in Hybrid group and 9 patients in control group, and had statistically difference in the incidence of dysphagia between two groups (χ²=5.112, P=0.024). During the follow-up, there were no complications such as loosening, displacement or fracture of internal fixation between two groups.

Conclusion: Compared with titanium plate interbody fusion, Zero-profile intervertebral fusion combined with cage-titanium plate for the treatment of multilevel cervical spondylotic myelopathy could shorten surgical time and blood loss, reduce surgical trauma and postoperative swallowing difficulties, and is conducive to early and rapid recovery.