Minimally Invasive Posterior Cervical Fusion With Facet Cages to Augment High-Risk Anterior Cervical Arthrodesis: A Case Series.

STUDY

designRetrospective case series.

objectivesTo evaluate the efficacy and results of minimally invasive posterior cervical fusion with facet cages as an augment to high-risk patients and patients status post multilevel anterior cervical decompression and fusion.

methodsThirty-five patients with symptomatic cervical stenosis with high risk for pseudoarthrosis underwent circumferential cervical decompression and fusion via staged anterior and posterior approach. Anterior cervical decompression and fusion was performed first by means of the standard anterior approach, with the patient supine on the operating table. The patients were subsequently flipped into a prone position and minimally invasive posterior cervical facet fusion with DTRAX was performed. The patients were then followed in the outpatient clinic for an average of 312.71 days. Postoperative patient satisfaction scores were obtained via the visual analogue scale (VAS). Preoperative VAS scores were compared with postoperative VAS scores in order to evaluate patient outcomes.

resultsOf the 35 patients evaluated, minimum follow-up was 102 days, with a maximum follow-up of 839 days. Average preoperative and postoperative VAS scores were 7.6 and 2.8, respectively (

conclusionsThe results indicate that minimally invasive posterior cervical decompression and fusion with facet cages, when combined with standard anterior cervical decompression and fusion, is an effective means of obtaining circumferential cervical fusion while simultaneously improving patient outcomes.