ArticleCureus2025
Microendoscopic Cervical Anterior Decompression and Fusion: A Technical Note.
Article in Cureus, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Microendoscopic cervical anterior decompression and fusion (MECAF) is a novel minimally invasive surgical technique developed to reduce postoperative complications commonly associated with anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF), such as airway obstruction, dysphagia, and recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis, particularly in elderly patients and those with comorbidities. Utilizing an 18-mm tubular retractor and a 25-degree endoscope, MECAF minimizes soft tissue trauma by approaching along the lateral border of the omohyoid muscle, enabling safe en bloc retraction of the trachea and esophagus. Under endoscopic visualization, anterior cervical discectomy, cage insertion, and fixation with a self-locking plate are performed. Between 2021 and 2024, 20 patients (mean age 60.0 ± 15.3 years) underwent MECAF for cervical disc herniation, myelopathy, radiculopathy, or myeloradiculopathy. The procedure was initially applied to single-level cases and subsequently extended to two-level surgeries, yielding favorable outcomes. Notably, there were no instances of postoperative dyspnea, hoarseness, or dysphagia. These findings suggest that MECAF is a safe, effective, and less invasive alternative to conventional ACDF.
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Registered trials
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