Does anterior plating maintain cervical lordosis versus conventional fusion techniques?
A retrospective review of medical records and radiographs of patients receiving anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) without anterior plating and with anterior plating was performed. The objective of the study was to determine whether a difference exists in cervical lordotic alignment between subjects undergoing single-level ACDF with and without anterior cervical plating instrumentation for symptomatic cervical disc disease. Collapse or settling of grafted bone into the vertebral endplates with resulting kyphotic deformity of the cervical spine is a commonly described complication of anterior discectomy and fusion. Despite the increasing use of instrumentation for the treatment of cervical spine injuries and degenerative conditions, little is known regarding lordotic alignment of the cervical spine in patients who receive plating instrumentation compared with conventional fusion without plating. Accumulating evidence suggests that plating is superior to non-plating technique
