Clinical efficacy and complications of 10 surgical interventions for cervical ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament: an updated systematic review and network meta-analysis.

backgroundThe optimal surgical techniques for cervical ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) remain controversial due to insufficient high-level evidence. We investigated the following surgical approaches for cervical OPLL: anterior decompression and fusion (ADF), anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion (ACCF), anterior controllable antedisplacement fusion (ACAF), anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF), posterior decompression with instrumented fusion (PDIF), posterior decompression and fusion (PDF), laminectomy (LC), laminoplasty (LP), laminectomy with fusion (LF), and vertebral body sliding osteotomy (VBSO).

methodsWe systematically searched PubMed, Embase, Ovid, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science from database inception through October 30, 2024. Our search identified both randomized and non-randomized controlled trials compar ing the following surgical interventions: ACDF, ADF, ACCF, ACAF, PDIF, PDF, LC, LP, LF, and VBSO. The extracted data were subjected to network meta-analysis. Our analysis included the following outcome measures: Patient demographic characteristics, Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scores, JOA improvement rates, overall complication rates, excellent/good recovery rates, cervical lordosis characteristics, Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores, Neck Disability Index (NDI) scores, surgical duration and intraoperative blood loss.

resultsIn our analysis of 50 studies involving 8705 patients, ACAF demonstrated the most significant improvements in JOA scores, cervical lordosis, VAS scores, and NDI scores. ADF showed the greatest increase in JOA improvement rate, while VBSO had the highest rate of excellent and good postoperative recovery. ACDF was associated with the fewest total complications and the shortest surgical duration. Finally, LC resulted in the lowest intraoperative blood loss.

conclusionThis studies demonstrate that ACAF significantly improves JOA scores and cervical lordosis while reducing VAS and NDI scores. Additionally, it achieves higher postoperative JOA improvement rates and excellent/good recovery rates, with fewer total complications and reduced intraoperative blood loss. Based on these findings, ACAF can be one of the preferred options for clinicians treating cervical OPLL, but it requires high surgical experience and strict indication selection. Additionally, the surgical team need to develop the best surgical plan based on imaging features and patient functional needs.