Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion.

A retrospective review of 94 patients who had undergone anterior cervical discectomy and fusion was performed to analyze the result in patients who had a diagnosis of posterolateral spondylosis, disc herniation, or both. Although in 23 of 94 patients additional adjacent asymptomatic levels of spondylosis were noted, only the symptomatic levels were addressed in the 94 cases. Postoperatively two cases of dysphagia were noted, as well as a 4% pseudarthrosis rate. There was an 88% good or excellent result when no additional spondylosis was present, but only a 60% good or excellent result when just the symptomatic levels were addressed, leaving unoperated adjacent levels of spondylosis.