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Meta-Analysis
. 2025 Aug 12;20(1):758.
doi: 10.1186/s13018-025-06189-x.

Comparison of cervical disc arthroplasty versus anterior cervical discectomy and fusion for the treatment of single-segment cervical degenerative disc disease with a minimum of 4-year follow-up: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Yu Zhang  1 , Jidong Ju  1 , Jinchun Wu  2
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Comparison of cervical disc arthroplasty versus anterior cervical discectomy and fusion for the treatment of single-segment cervical degenerative disc disease with a minimum of 4-year follow-up: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Yu Zhang et al. J Orthop Surg Res. .

Abstract

Objective: Our aim was to evaluate long-term effectiveness and safety of cervical disc arthroplasty (CDA) compared to anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) in single-segment cervical degenerative disc disease (CDDD).

Methods: Comprehensive literature searches were performed in four databases from their inception until February 6, 2025. Meta-analyses were conducted with use of Stata 17.0.

Results: Seventeen randomized controlled trials were included in our meta-analysis. CDA group exhibited greater blood loss but demonstrated a higher neurological success rate, an increased range of motion, and lower scores on neck disability index as well as visual analog scales. Additionally, reoperation rates and adjacent segment degeneration rates were significantly reduced in comparison to ACDF group. There were no significant differences between two groups in surgical duration or adverse event rates.

Conclusion: In the long term, cervical disc arthroplasty presents favorable safety profile for treating single-segment CDDD with lower reoperation rates while demonstrating superior efficacy over ACDF along with effective reduction in adjacent segment degeneration rates.

Keywords: Cervical degenerative disc disease; Cervical disc arthroplasty; Long-term efficacy; Meta-analysis; Randomized controlled trial.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: Not applicable in this section. Consent for publication: Not applicable in this section. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

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Flow chart of literature search
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Risk of bias summary
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Risk of bias graph
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Forest plot of operative time
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Forest plot of blood loss
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Forest plot of visual analog score of neck pain
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Forest plot of visual analog score of arm pain
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Forest plot of neck disability index
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Forest plot of neurological success
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Forest plot of range of motion in operated segments
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Forest plot of adverse events
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Forest plot of reoperation
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Forest plot of adjacent segment degeneration rate
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