Artificial disc replacement does not result in better outcomes than fusion for cervical radiculopathy (Spinal News International)
A study published in The Spine Journal has failed to find evidence for the superiority of artificial disc replacement (Discover, DePuy Spine) compared with fusion in the treatment of cervical radiculopathy.
Martin Skeppholm
Concerns regarding the decreased motion associated with anterior cervical decompression and fusion (ACDF) surgery have led to a proliferation of motion-preserving implants for the cervical spine. Martin Skeppholm, Stockholm Spine Center, Löwenströmska Hospital, Upplands Väsby/Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden, and colleagues, write that several previous studies comparing artificial disc replacement and fusion have been conducted with “cautiously positive” results in favour of artificial discs. However, those studies have been as part of FDA approval processes, which Skeppholm and colleagues note are “always associated with some risk for bias”. In this study, the authors obtained a written agreement from the company to ensure that “no interf...
