European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society
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The aim of this study was to determine whether postoperative malalignment of the cervical spine after anterior interbody fusion surgery promotes degenerative changes in the neighboring intervertebral discs. Forty-two patients who underwent anterior interbody fusion surgery for cervical spondylosis and disc herniation (34 men, 8 women) were followed for an average of 9.8 years. The average age at surgery was 50.2 years. ⋯ In addition, degenerative change in adjacent intervertebral levels was observed in 77% of kyphoses of the fused segment. These were statistically significant (Fisher exact method, P<0.05, P<0.04, respectively). Our findings suggest that one of the factors promoting degenerative change in adjacent intervertebral levels after anterior cervical fusion for degenerative disorders is postoperative kyphotic change in the cervical spine and the fused segment.
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Adjacent segment degeneration following lumbar spine fusion remains a widely acknowledged problem, but there is insufficient knowledge regarding the factors that contribute to its occurrence. The aim of this study is to analyse the relationship between abnormal sagittal plane configuration of the lumbar spine and the development of adjacent segment degeneration. Eighty-three consecutive patients who underwent lumbar fusion for degenerative disc disease were reviewed retrospectively. ⋯ It was concluded was that normality of sacral inclination is an important parameter for minimizing the incidence of adjacent level degeneration. Retrolisthesis was the most common type of adjacent segment change. Patients with post operative sagittal plane abnormalities should preferably be followed-up for at least 5 years to detect adjacent level changes.
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An investigation was conducted into the effects of double-level T12-L2 posterior fixation on the mobility of neighboring unfused segments. The segmental mobility of adjacent segments above and below the fixation in ten cadaveric human thoracolumbar spine specimens was measured before and after fixation by biomechanical testing in flexion, extension, right lateral bending, and right rotation, and the data were compared. ⋯ There is evidence that the adjacent segment above a double-level T12-L2 posterior fixation becomes more mobile, and this may lead to an accelerated degeneration in the facet joints due to increased stress at this point. This could be responsible for symptoms like low back pain after spinal surgery.