Anterior Cervical Fusion with Cervical Spine Locking Plate

Wang, Jin Man; Kim, Dong Jun

Abstract

Anterior plate fixation of the cervical spine provides good primary stability to allow early mobilization without significant external support. Despite the obvious advantages of anterior cervical fixation, neurological injury resulting from the direct trauma of a drill bit or screw are possibile with this technique. In addition, screw loosening leading to dyphagia has been reported. The cervical spine locking plate (CSLP) system maintains the mechanical advantages of internal fixation and eliminate the neurological risks of perforating the posterior cortex. The purpose of this study is to review our experience with this device, to critically assess its ability to stabilize the cervical spine, and to assess for complications associated with this device. The authors reviewed 28 consecutive patients in whom the CSLP system was applied between April 1994 to April 1995. Average age was 44 years ranged from nineteen to seventy-two. Patients with trauma were eight and degenerative diseases were twenty. Eighteen screws were inserted in C3 bodies, twenty-four in C4, forty-one in C5, thirty-six in C6, twenty-four in C7, two in Tl and nine on grafted bone. With a mean follow-up of 15 months, 27 of 28 patients went on to fusion. Mean time to fusion was three months (range 2-5). Fusion status of one patient was considered as uncertain. Three patients had screws placed in the disc rather than in bone. One patient suffered deep wound infection, which developed to tracheoesophagial fistula. No patient showed neurological injury as a result of this device.