Background: The emergence of C8 radiculopathy is a known complication following cervicothoracic osteotomies. However, the clinical profile of C8 radiculopathy is not well understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the rate of C8 radiculopathy after cervicothoracic osteotomies and to form a clinical profile describing the characteristics through a systematic review of the literature.
Methods: An electronic database search for full-text English articles was conducted following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines. The search yielded results on indications for cervicothoracic osteotomies, surgical approaches, mean follow-up time, and significant complications, including C8 radiculopathy.
Results: Our literature search yielded 2135 articles, of which 12 qualified to be included in the analysis. The 12 articles comprised 451 patients undergoing various osteotomy approaches. The mean age of subjects was 51.0 years (range, 11.4-63.2 years), and the majority of patients were male (66%, n = 298). Ankylosing spondylitis was the most frequent indication for surgery (44.8%, n = 202). The number of patients with postoperative C8 radiculopathy was found to decrease over time (1997-2020) by showing statistical significance (r = -0.65, P = 0.021).
Conclusions: Of the 451 patients included in this study, 53 had C8 radiculopathy (11.8% of the total patient population). Moreover, the rate of C8 radiculopathy decreased over time in a statistically significant manner. An understanding of the factors associated with the incidence of C8 radiculopathy is essential for future improvement of patient outcomes.
Keywords: C8 radiculopathy; Cervical spine; Cervicothoracic osteotomy; Spine fusion.
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