Acta neurochirurgica
Outcomes after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion for presumed segmental dysfunction-related neck pain: a Swedish nationwide registry study
By Sameer AH, Nazar Z, El-Hajj VG and 4 others.
Abstract
Purpose
Surgical management of mechanically driven neck pain without radiculopathy or myelopathy is a controversial topic, where comparative evidence to non-operative care is limited. This registry-based descriptive cohort study, without a nonoperative comparator, aimed to evaluate longitudinal outcomes after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) for mechanically driven pain presumed to derive from a dysfunctional cervical segment.
Methods
This observational cohort included all patients identified in Swespine (2006-2024) who underwent ACDF for presumed segmental dysfunctional-related neck pain and had an available baseline NRS neck pain value, and at least one postoperative NRS neck pain follow-up value. Outcome measures included NRS neck pain, Neck Disability index (NDI), health-related quality-of-life index (EQ5D), and postoperative satisfaction. PROMs were observed at 1, 2, 5, and 10 years postoperatively. Clinically meaningful improvements were defined through established MCID thresholds: ≥ 40% relative reduction in NRS, ≥ 33% relative reduction in NDI, and ≥ 0.08 increase in EQ5D.