Background: Anterior or posterior approaches have been shown to be effective in the treatment of cervical stenosis and myelopathy (CSM). There exists, however, a group of patients in whom both the anterior and posterior approaches are necessary to treat the stenosis and deformity. To better identify the indications and outcomes of the contemporaneous anterior + posterior approaches (CAP), we retrospectively reviewed the records of patients who have been treated with this method.
Methods: Between 2006 and 2018, 37 patients were treated with CAP for kyphosis, stenosis, and subluxation, with a median follow-up of 20 months (range: 5-112 months). We examined their radiographic metrics, health-related outcomes, and complications.
Results: The indication for CAP was severe kyphosis in 12 cases, severe stenosis in 9, and subluxation in 7. Proximal junctional kyphosis was the indication in 4 cases, failure of instrumentation with kyphosis in 3 cases, and adjacent segment degeneration in 2. Kyphosis was corrected in all. Nine patients suffered a total of 14 complications. Six patients developed dysphagia, 2 developed spinal fluid leaks, 1 meningitis, 2 wound dehiscence, and 1 C5 palsy. None were life-threatening and all resolved with appropriate management.
Conclusions: The CAP approach, undertaken in cases of CSM associated with severe kyphosis, stenosis, and subluxation, led to a significant correction in kyphosis. There was total of 14 complications, comparable to previously published reports.
Keywords: Anterior; Fusion; Kyphosis; Laminectomy; Posterior; Subluxation.
Published by Elsevier Inc.