Anterior Cervical Corpectomy and Fusion for Degenerative Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy: Case Presentation With Surgical Technique Demonstration and Review of Literature.

Abstract

Anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion (ACCF) provides an extensive decompression and provides a large surface area for fusion in patients presenting with cervical spondylotic myelopathy. Unfortunately, this procedure is a more difficult spinal surgery to perform (compared with a traditional anterior cervical discectomy and fusion) and has a higher incidence of overall complications. In literature, ACCF has functional outcomes that seem clinically equivalent to those for multilevel anterior cervical discectomy and fusion, especially when contained to 1 vertebral body level, and in cases, for which both posterior and anterior procedures would be appropriate surgical options, may provide greater long-term clinical benefit than posterior fusion or laminoplasty. In this manuscript, we summarize the indications and outcomes following ACCF for degenerative cervical spondylotic myelopathy. We then describe a case presentation and associated surgical technique with a discussion of complication avoidance with this procedure.