Fusion around cervical disc prosthesis: case report.

Abstract

Cervical arthroplasty is a relatively new method to maintain motion after cervical anterior discectomy. Two cases are presented in which bony fusion occurred around a cervical disc prosthesis. A 30-year-old man and a 49-year-old woman underwent a right-sided anterior cervical discectomy because of pain in the right arm resulting from a herniated disc (C5-C6). A cervical disc prosthesis (Bryan disc prosthesis) was implanted. Postoperatively, the patients were completely free of pain. At the regular 1- and 2-year follow-up examinations, bony fusion was seen on plain x-rays of the cervical spine. The patients were still completely free of signs and symptoms. This is the first report in the literature of bony fusion after cervical arthroplasty with the Bryan disc prosthesis.