Artificial disc replacement versus fusion in patients with cervical degenerative disc disease and radiculopathy: a randomized controlled trial with 5-year outcomes

Abstract

In BriefIn this study the authors compare cervical arthroplasty with fusion surgery in a randomized controlled trial using patient-reported outcome measures and MRI after 5 years of follow-up. Because the main purpose of arthroplasties is to prevent adjacent-segment pathology, it is important to investigate if that is actually realized in practice.

Keywords: ADR = artificial disc replacement; ASP = adjacent-segment pathology; CASP = clinical ASP; CI = confidence interval; DDD = degenerative disc disease; DSQ = Dysphagia Short Questionnaire; HADS = Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; HADS-a = HADS-anxiety; HADS-d = HADS-depression; HO = heterotopic ossification; HR = hazard ratio; IDE = investigational device exemption; ITT = intention to treat; MCID = minimum clinically important difference; NDI = Neck Disability Index; NSAID = nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug; Neck Disability Index; RASP = radiographic ASP; VAS = visual analog scale; adjacent-segment pathology; artificial disc replacement; cervical radiculopathy; treatment outcome.