Objective: This report analyzes the significance of osteophytes in the overall pathologic scheme in patients with single-level or multilevel cervical spinal degeneration.
Methods: From January 2010 to December 2018, 249 patients with cervical spondylosis were surgically treated. The alterations in ventral compression caused by disc bulges, osteophytes, and ligament buckling (disc-osteophye-ligament [DOL] complex) at single or multiple levels were evaluated after surgical treatment that involved only spinal fixation and did not involve any kind of bone or soft tissue decompression. Delayed (≥1 year after surgery) postoperative imaging was available in 165 patients and these patients formed the study group. Forty-five patients underwent facet distraction arthrodesis (group A), 106 patients underwent only-fixation involving transarticular screw insertion (group B), and 14 patients underwent hybrid fixation that involved both intra-articular spacers and transarticular fixation techniques (group C) as the surgical treatment.
Results: The size of the DOL complex at the segments that underwent fixation was reduced in 136 patients. The size of the DOL complex or its related dural or neural compression did not increase in any of the cases evaluated. Reduction in the size of DOL was more pronounced in patients in group A in both immediate postoperative and delayed images and in patients in group C at spinal levels at which facet distraction was performed using facet distraction spacers.
Conclusions: Spinal stabilization reduces the size of osteophytes. Facet distraction spacers are more effective in reduction of the size of DOL in both immediate and delayed postoperative periods.
Keywords: Intervertebral disc; Osteophytes; Spinal degeneration; Spinal fixation.
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