Anterior surgery for cervical disc disease

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Abstract
Anterior cervical surgery for treatment of cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) was assessed 1-7 yr postoperatively in 32 patients. At follow-up review, 50% were improved after surgery and 50% were unimproved or had deteriorated in spite of surgery. No statistical link to the patients'' age, duration of symptoms, severity of myelopathy, cervical canal size or the performance of single- or multiple-level operations was found. Various anterior surgical techniques were used, but none proved superior. Anterior surgery in this series failed to surpass the usual relief from conservative treatment alone. In many cases, symptoms of CSM progressed despite the intervention of anterior cervical surgery.