British journal of neurosurgery
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Postoperative limitation of cervical movement and adjacent disc degeneration are major causes of postoperative neck pain after anterior cervical discectomy and interbody fusion (ACDF). We present a retrospective study of dynamic radiographic change following ACDF with cages. We performed ACDF in 50 patients with cervical degenerative diseases, divided into three groups based on the level of interbody fusion (Group A: one-level; Group B: two-level; Group C: three-level). ⋯ There were no significant differences between the three groups with respect to postoperative change in cervical extension angle, upper adjacent level segmental movement, neck pain VAS, fusion rate or cage subsidence rate. The further decrease in total cervical ROM and flexion movement after multi-level ACDF was observed. However, a more long-term follow-up was needed to assess the actual aetiologies of upper adjacent level degeneration.