The efficacy of anchored stand-alone spacers in comparison to conventional cage and plate in anterior cervical discectomy and fusion surgery: A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials for clinical and radiological outcomes

Introduction: Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is commonly performed with cage and plate constructs to stabilise diseased or injured cervical segments. Despite it being a commonly performed procedure, there are notable rates of associated morbidity reported in the literature. Stand-alo...

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Main Authors: Jake M. McDonnell, Salma Youssef, Tayler D. Ross, Harry Marland, Luke Turley, Gráinne Cunniffe, Stacey Darwish, Joseph S. Butler
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2024-01-01
Series:Brain and Spine
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772529424000043
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author Jake M. McDonnell
Salma Youssef
Tayler D. Ross
Harry Marland
Luke Turley
Gráinne Cunniffe
Stacey Darwish
Joseph S. Butler
author_facet Jake M. McDonnell
Salma Youssef
Tayler D. Ross
Harry Marland
Luke Turley
Gráinne Cunniffe
Stacey Darwish
Joseph S. Butler
author_sort Jake M. McDonnell
collection DOAJ
description Introduction: Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is commonly performed with cage and plate constructs to stabilise diseased or injured cervical segments. Despite it being a commonly performed procedure, there are notable rates of associated morbidity reported in the literature. Stand-alone spacers represent a novel form of instrumentation to conventional cage and plate constructs. Research question: Do stand-alone spacers have improved operative characteristics and postoperative outcomes in ACDF cohorts when compared to cage and plate constructs? Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted of PubMed/Medline, Embase and Google Scholar databases per the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyzes guidelines. Studies of interest included cage and plate instrumentation versus anchored stand-alone spacers for patients undergoing ACDF. Pre- and post-operative clinical and radiological outcomes were collated and compared for significance between cohorts. Results: 10 RCTs were identified and included with 779 patients total. Mean age of the entire cohort was 50.1 years. 62% (483/779) of the cohort were male. 384 patients underwent ACDF with stand-alone cage, while 395 had ACDF with conventional cage and plate. Stand-alone spacers significantly outperformed conventional instrumentation in terms of estimated blood loss (p < 0.01), total postoperative complications (p < 0.01), dysphagia rates (p = 0.04) and adjacent segment disease (p = 0.04). Non-inferiority was evident in both patient reported outcome measures and radiological outcomes. Conclusion: This meta-analysis highlights the efficacy of stand-alone spacers for the management of primarily cervical spondylitic disease for both single-level and multi-level pathology, and thus presents an attractive alternative to conventional instrumentation for patients undergoing ACDF surgery.
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spelling doaj-art-10a09b5172b64a3f90a534f750c16fb72024-12-15T06:18:07ZengElsevierBrain and Spine2772-52942024-01-014102748The efficacy of anchored stand-alone spacers in comparison to conventional cage and plate in anterior cervical discectomy and fusion surgery: A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials for clinical and radiological outcomesJake M. McDonnell0Salma Youssef1Tayler D. Ross2Harry Marland3Luke Turley4Gráinne Cunniffe5Stacey Darwish6Joseph S. Butler7National Spinal Injuries Unit, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland; Trinity Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity, Ireland; Corresponding author. National Spinal Injuries Unit, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.School of Medicine, University of College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, IrelandOrthopaedic Resident, University of Toronto, CanadaNational Spinal Injuries Unit, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland; School of Medicine, University of Galway, Galway, IrelandDepartment of Orthopaedics, Tallaght University Hospital, Tallaght, Dublin, IrelandNational Spinal Injuries Unit, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin, IrelandNational Spinal Injuries Unit, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland; Department of Orthopaedics, St. Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin, IrelandNational Spinal Injuries Unit, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland; School of Medicine, University of College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, IrelandIntroduction: Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is commonly performed with cage and plate constructs to stabilise diseased or injured cervical segments. Despite it being a commonly performed procedure, there are notable rates of associated morbidity reported in the literature. Stand-alone spacers represent a novel form of instrumentation to conventional cage and plate constructs. Research question: Do stand-alone spacers have improved operative characteristics and postoperative outcomes in ACDF cohorts when compared to cage and plate constructs? Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted of PubMed/Medline, Embase and Google Scholar databases per the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyzes guidelines. Studies of interest included cage and plate instrumentation versus anchored stand-alone spacers for patients undergoing ACDF. Pre- and post-operative clinical and radiological outcomes were collated and compared for significance between cohorts. Results: 10 RCTs were identified and included with 779 patients total. Mean age of the entire cohort was 50.1 years. 62% (483/779) of the cohort were male. 384 patients underwent ACDF with stand-alone cage, while 395 had ACDF with conventional cage and plate. Stand-alone spacers significantly outperformed conventional instrumentation in terms of estimated blood loss (p < 0.01), total postoperative complications (p < 0.01), dysphagia rates (p = 0.04) and adjacent segment disease (p = 0.04). Non-inferiority was evident in both patient reported outcome measures and radiological outcomes. Conclusion: This meta-analysis highlights the efficacy of stand-alone spacers for the management of primarily cervical spondylitic disease for both single-level and multi-level pathology, and thus presents an attractive alternative to conventional instrumentation for patients undergoing ACDF surgery.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772529424000043Cervical spineACDFSpine surgeryCageSpacerOutcomes
spellingShingle Jake M. McDonnell
Salma Youssef
Tayler D. Ross
Harry Marland
Luke Turley
Gráinne Cunniffe
Stacey Darwish
Joseph S. Butler
The efficacy of anchored stand-alone spacers in comparison to conventional cage and plate in anterior cervical discectomy and fusion surgery: A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials for clinical and radiological outcomes
Brain and Spine
Cervical spine
ACDF
Spine surgery
Cage
Spacer
Outcomes
title The efficacy of anchored stand-alone spacers in comparison to conventional cage and plate in anterior cervical discectomy and fusion surgery: A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials for clinical and radiological outcomes
title_full The efficacy of anchored stand-alone spacers in comparison to conventional cage and plate in anterior cervical discectomy and fusion surgery: A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials for clinical and radiological outcomes
title_fullStr The efficacy of anchored stand-alone spacers in comparison to conventional cage and plate in anterior cervical discectomy and fusion surgery: A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials for clinical and radiological outcomes
title_full_unstemmed The efficacy of anchored stand-alone spacers in comparison to conventional cage and plate in anterior cervical discectomy and fusion surgery: A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials for clinical and radiological outcomes
title_short The efficacy of anchored stand-alone spacers in comparison to conventional cage and plate in anterior cervical discectomy and fusion surgery: A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials for clinical and radiological outcomes
title_sort efficacy of anchored stand alone spacers in comparison to conventional cage and plate in anterior cervical discectomy and fusion surgery a meta analysis of randomised controlled trials for clinical and radiological outcomes
topic Cervical spine
ACDF
Spine surgery
Cage
Spacer
Outcomes
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772529424000043
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