Myelopathy after cervical disc arthroplasty due to progression of spondylosis at the index level: case report.

Abstract

Cervical disc arthroplasty (CDA) has emerged as a popular alternative to anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) for the surgical treatment of cervical degenerative disc disease. CDA has been well studied, with efficacy reported to be equivalent to or better than that seen with ACDF, and it is associated with a consistently low incidence of adverse events. The development or progression of myelopathy after CDA is a particularly rare occurrence. In this report, the authors describe the first known case of recurrence of myelopathy at the index level of surgery after CDA implantation due the continuation of the spondylitic process after placement of the artificial disc.