Presentation
Radicular pain from disc protrusion.
Patient Data
Postoperative lateral x-ray of the cervical spine following C5/C6 anterior cervical discectomy with artificial bone graft placed in the disc space. Expected prevertebral soft tissue swelling.
Followup x-rays demonstrate incorporation of the bone-graft into the C5 vertebral body. Inferiorly, a lucency between the graft and the C6 endplate remains visible. This may represent non-union. Flexion and extension views could be obtained to determine stability.
Case Discussion
Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is a surgical technique developed by Ralph B. Cloward in the 1950s to address cervical disc herniation and degenerative disc disease 1. This procedure involves an anterior approach to the cervical spine, where the affected intervertebral disc is removed and replaced with a bone graft to facilitate fusion between adjacent vertebrae, thereby relieving nerve root or spinal cord compression and restoring spinal stability.
Since then, a variety of alternative fusion devices have been developed ranging from plates and screws and intervertebral body cages.
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